Japan urges restraint as Israel begins ground operation in Lebanon

TOKYO — Japan's government expressed "serious concern" Tuesday over Israel's ground incursion against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, urging maximum restraint to prevent a further escalation of the conflict.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi called for an immediate cease-fire, stressing all possible measures must be taken to prevent civilian casualties and requesting the relevant parties to pursue a diplomatic solution.

Hayashi, the top government spokesman, said at a press conference that Tokyo has been making efforts to ensure the safety of the around 50 Japanese nationals in Lebanon.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel's military announced it had begun "limited, localized" ground operations against Hezbollah, marking its first ground invasion of Lebanon since 2006.

The incursion follows deadly pager and walkie-talkie explosions targeting Hezbollah members, large-scale air strikes by Israel on the group's headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut and the killing of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The latest development represents an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, sparked by a surprise attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on southern Israel almost a year ago.

Amid mounting tensions in the Middle East, Japan's Defense Ministry on Friday ordered the Air Self-Defense Force to send two C2 transport planes to Jordan and Greece to prepare for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals in Lebanon.

Japan, which is highly dependent on the Middle East for crude oil, has traditionally pursued "balanced diplomacy" between Arab nations and Israel, which is backed by the United States, Tokyo's key security ally.

© KYODO