Top EU diplomat says Israel has 'no excuses' to refuse a ceasefire with Hezbollah

FIUGGI, Italy (AP) — The European Union’s top diplomat said Tuesday there were “no excuses” for Israel to refuse to accept a ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, saying all its security concerns had been addressed in the U.S.-French-brokered deal.

Josep Borrell, the outgoing EU foreign policy chief, called for increased pressure on Israel to blunt extremists in the government who are refusing to accept the deal. Speaking on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting in Italy, Borrell warned that if a ceasefire is not implemented, “Lebanon will fall apart."

Israeli officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet was set to convene Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire. Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal.

Borrell said under the proposed agreement, the U.S. would chair a ceasefire implementation committee, with France participating at the request of Lebanon.

“On the proposal agreement brokered by the U.S. and France, Israel has all security concerns (addressed),” Borrell told reporters in Fiuggi, Italy. “There is not an excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart.”

Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel, months of back-and-forth fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have erupted into a full-blown war in recent months, with Israel killing Hezbollah’s main leaders and sending ground forces into southern Lebanon.

Israeli bombardment has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon and wounded more than 15,000, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by rockets, drones and missiles in northern Israel and in the fighting on the ground in Lebanon.

The G7 meeting of foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations, the last of the Biden administration, was dominated on Monday by the Mideast wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The G7 ministers were joined by the foreign ministers of the “Arab Quintet”: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries there have been completely impeded.

“The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.”

It was a reference to the main accusation leveled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Israel has angrily denied the charges, calling them antisemitic and a victory for terrorism and said the charges failed to recognize the country’s right to defend itself.

Borrell said the signatories to ICC, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. The U.S. is not a party to the court and has called the arrest warrants “outrageous.”

Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the position of the U.S., Israel’s closest ally.

Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice.”

By Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani acknowledged Italy's obligations. Italy was one of the first signatories of the ICC and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it.

“We are friends of Israel but I think we need to respect international law,” he said as he waited to greet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

While the G7 meeting was dominated Monday by the Mideast conflicts, the attention turned Tuesday to Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was on hand and briefed the ministers on Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Tajani said.

“We want to repeat, visibly, our solidarity from Italy and the G7,” Tajani told the ministers at the start of Tuesday’s session. “Support to Kyiv is a priority.”

The G7 has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and G7 members are particularly concerned about how a Trump administration will change the U.S. approach.

Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.

Tensions have only heightened since Russia attacked Ukraine last week with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.

Blinken, at his final G7 before the Biden administration leaves office, thanked Tajani for the collaboration over the years and said Washington was still standing with its allies.

“Our countries are standing together, along with other partners, to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine," Blinken said. "We’re standing together to deal with some of the challenges posed by China. We’re standing together in looking to bring a sustainable, lasting peace in the Middle East.”

AP visual journalist Paolo Santalucia contributed.

From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya prepare for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner arrive for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, left, welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, left, welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha for a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, front, arrives to pose for a family photo with, from left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Office Political Director Christian Turner at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, left, talks to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after a family photo at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

A view of the Palacongressi where Foreign Ministers of the G7 and from different Arab countries met at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

From left : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud attend a working session at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP)

From left : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem al-Hashimy pose for a picture during a working session at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (Andreas Solaro/Pool Photo via AP)

Front row from left, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken , French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pose for a family photo with, second row from left, foreign Ministers of Quatar, Mohammed Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Egypt, Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Saudi Arabia, Faisal Farhan Al Saud, Jordan, Ayman Safadi, United Arab Emirates, Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, and Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit at the G7 of foreign Ministers in Fiuggi, some 70 kilometers south-east of Rome, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader who has been leading rallies demanding security for Hindus in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation was ordered detained on charges of sedition Tuesday.

The magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam denied bail to Krishna Das Prabhu and ordered him detained pending further proceedings.

As police attempted to transport the Hindu leader to jail, hundreds of his supporters surrounded the van carrying him, forcing it to stop for over an hour before security officials fired teargas to disperse the crowd. Protesters threw stones at police during a brief confrontation, before the way was cleared and Prabhu was taken to jail.

As the tension grew, TV live footage showed dozens of Muslims joining the security officials, chasing Hindu protesters and throwing stones at them.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.

Hindus and members of other minority groups say they have faced more attacks than ever since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising in August and an interim government took over. The government says the threat to Hindus has been exaggerated.

Around 91% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, with Hindus making up almost all of the rest.

Prabhu, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag.

He was arrested in Dhaka’s main airport on Monday while traveling to Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh.

Kushal Baran Chakrabarty, who was accompanying Prabhu at the time of his arrest, said that several detectives took the Hindu leader to a police car at the airport.

“Chinmoy Prabhu gave his phone to me as he was forcefully taken to the police car. The police detectives jostled with us to forcefully take his phone and they took it away. We then followed the police car that headed for the headquarters of the Detective Branch at Minto Road in Dhaka,” he said. “We stayed outside the Detective Branch’s office.”

India's Ministry of External Affairs expressed “deep concern” in a statement on Tuesday.

“This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples,” the statement said.

It also condemned attacks on peaceful protests by Hindus.

“We urge Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression,” the ministry wrote.

Prabhu faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag. Dhaka-based leading Prothom Alo daily reported that Prabhu would be produced before a court on Tuesday, and that two other people have been arrested in the case.

On Tuesday, the Hindu leader was brought before the magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam in southeastern city of Chattogram, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported. The court was packed and dozens of lawyers stood for him to seek bail.

Since August, Prabhu has led several large rallies demanding safety for the Hindus, as the interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus said reports of attacks have been exaggerated.

Many in the interim government see the rallies by Hindus as a threat to stability and a ploy to rehabilitate Hasina and her Awami League party.

The long-ruling secular party is seen as a protector of the Hindu minority and has close ties to neighboring India. Hundreds of Hasina’s supporters, including many close aides, are believed to have fled to India after her fall.

Prabhu is a prominent Hindu leader and a respected figure. He is a member of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote group. He is also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as the Hare Krishna movement, and acts as a spokesman for the group in Bangladesh.

Prabhu's followers took to the streets in Chattogram and Dhaka to demand his release on Monday.

In Dhaka, a mob armed with sticks attacked Hindu protesters on Monday night at Shahbagh intersection near the Dhaka University.

Kalbela, a Bengali-language daily, said in a video report on Monday night that the attackers drove the Hindu protesters away from the area.

Hasina fled the country on Aug. 5 after a student-led protest morphed into a mass uprising, ending her 15-year rule. The country's security agencies are struggling to keep order as the police agencies remained demoralized after dozens of their members were killed during the mass uprising in July and August.

Supporters of Bangladeshi Hindu leader Krishna Das Prabhu surround the van carrying the leader after court ordered him detained pending further proceedings in Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP photo)

Policemen charge baton to disperse the supporters of Bangladeshi Hindu leader Krishna Das Prabhu after they surrounded police van carrying their leader at the court premises, in Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP photo)

Bangladeshi Hindu leader Krishna Das Prabhu shows a victory sign as he is taken in a police van after court ordered him detained pending further proceedings in Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP photo)