Middle East tinderbox: David Lammy calls for 'restraint' after new rocket exchanges between Israel and Lebanon militant group Hezbollah - as UK airlines axe flights to troubled region

Britain has called for 'restraint' in the Middle East after Israel launched a fresh wave of air strikes across southern Lebanon early on Sunday in what it called a pre-emptive strike to avert a large Hezbollah rocket and missile attack.

The Israeli military carried out a series of air strikes in southern Lebanon early on Sunday, saying it had intelligence Hezbollah was planning to carry out an attack of its own.

The Iran-backed militants subsequently launched drones at Israel, saying it was acting in response to the killing of one of its top commanders in an airstrike on Beirut last month.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he has spoken to Israeli minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer and warned that 'further escalation in the Middle East must be avoided at all costs'.

Cabinet minister Pat McFadden earlier Sunday said the UK is 'very concerned' by the escalation and had warned a regional war was 'a real danger' if the situation continued to heighten.

It comes as at least three UK air carriers have axed flights to the Middle East in response to the strikes.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13778341/David-Lammy-calls-Israel-restraint-Lebanon-strikes.html