Mikati says any cease-fire depends on 'Israel's commitment' to 'international resolutions'

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, welcomed on Thursday the joint statement issued issued by United States and France, with the support of the European Union and a number of Western and Arab countries, to establish a temporary cease-fire in Lebanon.

The United States and its allies pressed earlier on Thursday for a 21-day cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Since Monday, Israel has been carrying out intensive airstrikes on Lebanon, killing hundreds and displacing tens of thousands.

Mikati said that it is important to now check whether Israel will implement this temporary cease-fire proposal.

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The implementation of any cease-fire largely depends on "Israel's commitment to implement international resolutions,” he said during an emergency security council meeting in New York regarding the situation in Lebanon as reported by the state-run National News Agency.

"Today, in Lebanon, we are facing a clear violation of the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and human rights through the brutal practices of the Israeli enemy against our state and our Lebanese people, by violating its sovereignty ... killing its civilians, young men, women and children, destroying homes, and forcing families to flee under harsh humanitarian conditions," Mikati said.

"Hospitals are unable to receive more wounded people ... I hope to return to my country armed with your clear position calling for an end to this aggression and respecting the sovereignty and integrity of my country," he added.

"What we are witnessing today is an unprecedented escalation, with the use of new means and mechanisms, especially electronic ones, to inflict harm on my people. The aggressor claims that it only targets armed men and weapons, but I assure you that Lebanon's hospitals are full of wounded civilians, including dozens of women and children."

Pager and radio devices exploded across Lebanon last week, leaving dozens killed and wounding thousands. "My presence here is to come out of this session with a serious solution based on the concerted efforts of all Security Council members to pressure Israel for an immediate cease-fire on all fronts and the return of security and stability to our region," Mikati said.

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"We came to affirm Lebanon's right to stability, security and safety, its right to sovereignty ... and to recover its occupied territories."

The Prime Minister said that "Israel has not stopped violating United Nations resolutions over the years, especially resolution 1701, which was supposed to provide a framework for permanent stabilization in southern Lebanon." He also emphasized the Lebanese government's commitment to this resolution.

UNSC 1701, which ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, mandates Hezbollah's withdrawal north of the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese Army and a multinational force in the border region.

"On behalf of the Lebanese people, we put your esteemed Council in front of its full responsibilities to take an immediate and decisive stance to end the continuous suffering of our people, paving the way for diplomatic solutions," he stated.

Hezbollah and Israel have been fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border since last October amid the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. However, the situation has significantly escalated in the past week, as more than 700 people in Lebanon have been killed in airstrikes and the explosion of pagers and radio devices.

Mikati's office denied reports that he signed a cease-fire agreement after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein.