David Lammy during a visit to Beirut, January 12, 2024. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received a call on Saturday from the new British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, who emphasized that escalating tensions along Lebanon’s southern border, where Hezbollah has been clashing with Israel for nine months, are in no one’s interest and warned against the risk of a "miscalculation."
According to a statement from Mikati’s press office, the Foreign Secretary stressed the importance of seeking solutions to the tense situations in southern Lebanon and Gaza, and working together for peace and security in the Middle East. Lammy noted that he would be visiting Lebanon soon.
In a message posted on X, Lammy expressed his pleasure in discussing the longstanding friendship between the UK and Lebanon with Mikati, and their collaboration for peace and security in the Middle East. He also voiced his concerns about the escalating tensions at the Lebanon-Israel border and the increasing risk of a miscalculation. “Escalating the conflict is in no one's interest. The UK wishes for it to be resolved peacefully through negotiations,” he continued. Since Oct. 8, amid the Gaza war, Israel and Hezbollah have been engaging in almost daily clashes at the southern Lebanon border. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has stated that the “support” front for Gaza will cease once a ceasefire is declared in Gaza. While the exchanges have so far led to limited escalations, fears of a broader conflict encompassing all of Lebanon remain.
Last February, Lammy’s predecessor, David Cameron, visited Lebanon for a few hours during a Middle East tour and met with Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. During those meetings, Cameron emphasized the need for a ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, which calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and their replacement by the Lebanese armed forces and U.N. peacekeepers.