Saudi Arabia urges respect for Lebanon's sovereignty amid escalating conflict

Saudi Arabia expressed its "great concern" at the conflict in Lebanon on Monday, calling for the country's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" to be respected.

A foreign ministry statement said: "the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the developments taking place in the Republic of Lebanon."

As the country's health ministry said more than a hundred people had been killed in Israel's strikes on targets across the country on Sunday, Riyadh stressed the need to respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

"The Kingdom calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards protecting regional peace and security to spare the region and its people the dangers and tragedies of wars," it added.

Israel has carried out several days of deadly strikes on targets in Lebanon, killing the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group Hassan Nasrallah on Friday and other senior figures in the movement.

There have been growing calls internationally for restraint from Israel as it prepares for a possible ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, amid fears of all-out war in the Middle East.