Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (Credit: Photo archives NNA)
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed "possible scenarios" in the event of extended Israeli attacks with the Government Emergency Committee on Wednesday morning.
The meeting follows the tampering with Hezbollah pagers that exploded across Lebanon, an operation blamed on Israel that killed at least 12 people and wounded nearly 2,800.
"We presented possible scenarios in the event of extended Israeli attacks," Mikati said at the end of a meeting attended by Nasser Yassine, coordinator of the National Committee for Disaster and Crisis Management, and Mohammad Moustafa, secretary-general of the Supreme Defense Council. He added that the Education Ministry has provided a preliminary list of around 100 schools that could be used as shelters, and efforts are underway to equip them.
Addressing food supplies, Mikati said that, according to the Economy Ministry representative, "food stocks are sufficient for more than three months, and a ship carrying 40,000 tons of cereals and flour is set to arrive in Lebanon." He added that 50,000 food rations, provided by third parties including the World Food Program, could be distributed to displaced people.
"We also discussed the logistics required to ensure the crisis and disaster management committee can function, including communications, roads, transport, and emergency and crisis rooms," Mikati said. He also praised the efforts of medical staff and the Health Ministry for their work in aiding the wounded on Tuesday.
Minister Yassine noted "challenges in transferring the injured from one hospital to another." He added that the number of ophthalmologists and eye surgeons available on Tuesday was insufficient, as many of the pager blasts resulted in eye injuries.
"What happened yesterday was a real war, similar to what we experienced during the Beirut port explosions," he said.
Messages of solidarity with Lebanon
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati received several messages of solidarity with Lebanon on Wednesday morning, according to the Grand Serail. In a phone call, Iraqi President Abdel Latif Rachid assured that Iraq was "using all its resources to help Lebanon overcome the crisis it faced on Tuesday." Mikati thanked him for sending a medical team and a shipment of medical aid to Lebanon.
Mikati also received a call from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who offered Turkey’s willingness to provide "the necessary assistance to help Lebanon through its current ordeal."