ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia issued directives Sunday to provide medical and relief aid to Lebanon amid Israel’s deadly airstrikes.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the developments taking place in the Republic of Lebanon,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It emphasized "the need to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity” and affirmed “its solidarity with the Lebanese people against the repercussions of these events and the need to limit their humanitarian consequences.”

The Kingdom also called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities towards protecting regional peace and security to spare the region and its people from the dangers and tragedies of wars.”

The Kingdom’s leadership has issued directives to "provide medical and relief aid to the Lebanese people to support them during these critical circumstances,” according to the ministry.

Medical and humanitarian aid from Arab, Islamic and Western countries including Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq and France has already arrived in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala