Lebanon has right to defend its land amid systematic Israeli escalation, Mikati tells army officers
BEIRUT: Lebanon is determined to defend its land and sovereignty, acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday.
“We will not hesitate to do so, regardless of the sacrifices,” he said.
Mikati described regional developments as “alarming”, signaling increased levels of danger.
He said “there is no indication that Israeli arrogance will stop.”
Mikati met with senior officers of the Lebanese army command and warned that “regional developments are worrying”.
He emphasized that the army “remains the firm guarantee for the unity of Lebanon, its territory, its people and its establishments, which makes it a national obligation for everyone to unite around the institution of the army.”
Mikati said that in response to the continued and severe Israeli escalation, “we assert our right to defend our land, sovereignty and dignity using all available means.”
He stated that he informed “friendly and brotherly countries that we are supporters of peace, not war.
“We seek permanent stability through Israel's commitment to implement UN Resolution 1701 in all its provisions. No amount of Israeli aggression will deter us from that.”
Mikati stressed the importance of deploying the military in cooperation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon to prevent violations of “our internationally recognized borders. This is essential to ensure the stability and security of the people of the South.”
He added: “Our right to use the resources in our waters is absolute and not open to negotiation.”
Mikati also met with the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (USA, France, Great Britain, China and Russia) and the representatives of the non-permanent member states present in Lebanon (Algeria, Japan, Switzerland, and South Korea).
The meeting came against the backdrop of escalating clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which came to a head on Tuesday with the assassination of top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in the heart of Beirut's southern suburbs.
Mikati's press office said the assembled ambassadors affirmed “Lebanon's commitment to implement UN resolutions, especially Resolution 1701, as a top priority in the region.”
Lebanon also filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against Israel for its aggression against the southern suburb of Beirut.
It said Israel's dangerous escalation affected a densely populated residential area, violating international law and the UN Charter.
In the southern town of Shamaa, a funeral procession was held for a Syrian mother and her three children – Fatima Al-Raja Al-Hajj and her sons Suleiman, Mohammed and Ahmed Al-Hajj – who were killed in an attack Israeli air strikes on them. home Thursday evening.
The death toll of Syrian civilians who were killed during clashes in the south since October 8 has risen to 18.
The airstrike coincided with Hezbollah holding a funeral procession for Shukr in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah vowed Thursday night during Shukr's funeral that he would respond to his assassination.
He said Israel “should expect the honorable's revenge” and that “we have entered a new phase on all fronts of support (for Hamas in the Gaza Strip).”
He said Israel “crossed red lines and has no idea of the kind of aggression it has committed.”
The Israeli military launched airstrikes and artillery fire on border towns including Rab El-Thalathine, Dhayra and Blida, as well as the suburbs of Naqoura and Tayr Harfa on Friday.
Hezbollah announced a number of targets that fell within the rules of engagement.
It involved the deployment of Israeli soldiers to the Dhayra site, the Al-Sammaqa site in the occupied Kfarchouba Hills in Lebanon and the Bayad Blida site with artillery shells.
The party fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at the Matzuva settlement following the Israeli attack on Shamaa.
