Municipal workers check the debris in the aftermath of an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Nov. 1, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT – Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday criticized Israel's "expansion" of its attacks on his country during a meeting with UNIFIL commander Major General Aroldo Lazaro, saying they indicated a rejection of efforts to broker a truce after more than a month of war.
"The Israeli enemy's renewed expansion of the scope of its aggression on Lebanese regions, its repeated threats to the population to evacuate entire cities and villages, and its renewed targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive strikes are all indicators that confirm the Israeli enemy's rejection of all efforts being made to secure a cease-fire," Mikati said.
Mikati's statement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met visiting U.S. officials to discuss a possible deal to end the war in Lebanon.
The Lebanese premier added that Israel's diplomatic behavior suggested it was rejecting a cease-fire.
"Israeli statements and diplomatic signals that Lebanon received confirm Israel's stubbornness in rejecting the proposed solutions and insisting on the approach of killing and destruction," Mikati said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Mikati said U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein had signaled during a phone call that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war was possible before U.S. elections are held on Nov. 5.
The same day, Hezbollah's new leader said the group would agree to a cease-fire with Israel under acceptable terms, but added that a viable deal has yet to be presented.
During talks on Thursday, Israeli leader Netanyahu told U.S. envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk that any Lebanon deal must guarantee Israel's longer-term security.
Attacks on UNIFIL
Mikati reiterated Lebanon's "appreciation for the hard efforts exerted by UNIFIL in this difficult phase and its commitment to its role in the south."
Mikati also stressed the importance of not compromising the tasks entrusted to UNIFIL which are carried out in close cooperation with the Lebanese army.
The prime minister also expressed his “condemnation of the Israeli attacks on UNIFIL and the threats against it”, appreciating “the insistence of many countries friendly to Lebanon on the continuation of UNIFIL's work in the south.”
Several UNIFIL peacekeepers have been injured by the Israeli army recently.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in a conflict since last October in parallel with the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. According to the Health Ministry, more than 2,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since then.
"The Israeli enemy's renewed expansion of the scope of its aggression on...