BEIRUT, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on Thursday urged the European Union to step up pressure on Israel to withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories, halt attacks, and respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

Rajji made the appeal during talks with Stefano Sannino, director-general for the Middle East and North Africa at the European Commission, who led a EU delegation visiting Beirut, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. The discussions covered regional developments and Lebanon-EU relations.

The minister condemned Israel's continued military actions, including daily strikes in southern Lebanon and renewed attacks on Beirut. He called for Israel's adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and pressed the EU to take a firmer stance against the violations.

Meanwhile, an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in Lebanon's southern border region wounded two people on Thursday, Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center said.

"The Israeli strike on a vehicle on the Bint Jbeil road resulted in the injury of two civilians," the center said in a statement.

In a separate incident, Israeli airstrikes at dawn targeted a civil defense center in Naqoura, the General Directorate of Civil Defense, affiliated with the Islamic Health Authority, said. The attack destroyed the center and damaged an ambulance and a fire truck, but no casualties were reported among rescue teams, it added.

A U.S.- and French-mediated truce between Hezbollah and Israel has been in place since Nov. 27, 2024, ending more than a year of cross-border hostilities linked to the Gaza conflict.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued strikes in Lebanon, citing security threats from Hezbollah. The Israeli military also remains at five border positions, missing a Feb. 18 deadline for full withdrawal. Enditem

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