Ministry: Estonia supports Israel's right to defend itself

TALLINN – Estonia, together with other European Union member states, is of the opinion that Israel and Hezbollah must adhere to the UN resolution adopted in 2006 and supports Israel's right to defend itself.

The resolution calls, among other things, for a complete cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, the deployment of UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon along with the Lebanese military, and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah. The obligation to ensure a ceasefire was placed on the UN unit UNIFIL, whose activities Estonia strongly supports, and Estonia has also deployed one member of its military to southern Lebanon, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. 

Hezbollah has not complied with the resolution, has continued to arm itself and has continuously attacked Israel over the years. The attacks intensified after the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 last year. Estonia supports Israel's right to defend itself and stresses that international humanitarian law must be adhered to regardless of the situation.

The situation in the Middle East was also discussed by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna at an extraordinary video meeting with his EU counterparts on Monday evening. The meeting called for work to be done to reduce tensions and find a diplomatic solution. 

As of Tuesday morning, there are no Estonian citizens in Lebanon who have notified the ministry of their short-term stay. There is one Estonian citizen in Israel who has notified their short-term stay. 

The Foreign Ministry asks to avoid traveling to Israel and Lebanon without urgent need. Anyone still in Israel or Lebanon must be vigilant and follow the instructions of the local authorities, as the situation in the region can change rapidly.

The ministry urges Estonian citizens staying in Israel or Lebanon to report this if possible and to register their short-term stay on the ministry's website or by email to [email protected]. If necessary, consular assistance can be obtained by calling the round-the-clock emergency number +372 5301 9999.