Lebanese Defense Minister Maurice Slim said that Lebanon does not seek war, but does not accept the continuation of Israeli criminal attacks targeting innocent people in several areas, while a source in the Lebanese army leadership confirmed that the army’s deployment in the south of the country comes as a commitment toUN Resolution 1701.
The Lebanese Defense Minister stressed that the international community must put pressure on Israel to force it to implement Resolution 1701 and stop the aggression against Lebanon.
He drew attention to the fact that Israel has never adhered to this international resolution since its issuance in 2006.
The Minister of Defense strongly condemned the Israeli attacks against his force United Nations Temporary in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
He stressed that these attacks indicate that “Israel is ignoring international resolutions and the peaceful tasks of UNIFIL.”
In a related development, a source in the Lebanese Army Command told Al Jazeera that the army’s deployment in southern Lebanon comes in compliance with Resolution 1701, stressing the army’s adherence to this decision.
He added that the army's mission in southern Lebanon is to conduct patrols in coordination with UNIFIL.
The source stated that the Lebanese army will not allow the Israeli army to storm its positions in southern Lebanon and will defend them, adding that his country’s army is communicating with friendly armies to obtain funds to increase its numbers and equipment in southern Lebanon.
The source indicated to Al Jazeera that the Lebanese army is seeking to raise the number of its soldiers in southern Lebanon to 10,000 soldiers.
Government priorities
On the other hand, the Prime Minister of the Lebanese caretaker government said Najib Mikati His government's priorities at this stage are to work to achieve a ceasefire, stop the Israeli aggression, and preserve Lebanon's security.
During his meeting with the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf, Mikati affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing International Resolution No. 1701, strengthening the army’s presence in the south, and conducting contacts with the resolution countries and the United Nations to pressure Israel to fully implement the resolution.
In this context, the government media office in Lebanon said that Mikati received a call from US presidential envoy Amos Hochstein, during which ways to reach a ceasefire and stop military confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel were discussed.
The office added that the call discussed the possibility of reaching an integrated political solution based on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701.
Since September 23, Israel has expanded the scope of the genocide it is committing in… Gaza Strip Since October 7, 2023, it has launched unprecedented air strikes to include Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, and has also begun a ground incursion into its south, ignoring international warnings and UN resolutions.
On the other hand, sirens continue to sound in Israel, after Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at military sites, settlements, and the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv, amid a strict blackout of human and material losses, according to observers.
