As Lebanon fighting intensifies, both sides need to step back from the brink

A major regional war is a terrifying possibility, but the Middle East has also long been seen as a potential flashpoint that could ignite a Third World War

No wonder then that, ahead of his speech at the United Nations, Keir Starmer said he was “very worried” by the situation and called for “all parties to step back from the brink, to de-escalate”, adding, “we need a ceasefire so this can be sorted out diplomatically”.

Importing deadly hatreds

We hope the rest of the world is listening. The best way the global community can help is to look for a peaceful solution to the conflict. Failing that, they should be seeking to contain it to as small an area as possible and discouraging others from joining in.

In that task, we can all play a small part. We need to recognise that this is a complex and deep-rooted conflict involving Israel’s government, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza – not Jews and Muslims.

‘Your grief is my grief’

There has been no better recent example of humane, moral leadership on this issue than Humza Yousaf’s following Hamas’s appalling attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent devastating invasion of Gaza by Israel.

Even as his relatives were trapped in Gaza, with their lives at risk, the then First Minister attended a service of solidarity at Giffnock Newton Mearns Synagogue where he told the people there “your grief is my grief” and embraced the mother of Bernard Cowan, one of Hamas's victims.

In doing so, he reminded us all of our shared humanity. Faced with this latest outbreak of fighting, the worst thing we can do is expand the conflict into our own hearts and minds. Instead, we must try, even in the most difficult of circumstances, to return all sides to the path of peace.