Morcos: Efforts led by Aoun have helped avert risks to civilian infrastructure

BEIRUT — Information Minister Paul Morcos said diplomatic efforts by President Joseph Aoun, including talks with Emmanuel Macron and other leaders, have “helped avert the threat of strikes targeting Lebanon’s vital infrastructure,” according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Morcos’ comments were made in response to questions from journalists following the Saint Joseph mass at La Sagesse University, celebrated for peace in Lebanon and presided over by Maronite Archbishop of Beirut Paul Abdel Sater.

He noted that diplomatic steps are still ongoing and that it is still too early to say whether they have yielded the desired results. He nonetheless stressed that the consequences of the escalation could have been worse without the diplomatic intervention and international contacts undertaken by the head of state.

The minister insisted that "diplomatic efforts are not over" and that "they require further efforts during this difficult phase" that Lebanon and the region are going through.

Macron called Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu last week. He also dispatched the French army’s chief of staff to Beirut with a proposal for an immediate halt to fighting by Hezbollah in exchange for a cessation of Israeli military operations. The Israelis rejected this proposal, considering all initiatives unacceptable and arguing that they had given the Lebanese state enough time without it being able to disarm the party.

Morcos concluded by expressing hope that these efforts would be accompanied by prayers for Lebanon, so they may bear fruit, asking God to assist the president of the Republic, the government, its head, and all those working for peace.

In the early days of the escalation, Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny indicated that authorities had decided to keep Lebanese airspace open, in an exceptional context marked by the conflict pitting Iran against the United States and Israel, which has drawn in several countries in the region, including Lebanon.

The minister also said that security at Beirut International Airport (AIB) – the country’s only operational civilian airport – is an absolute priority.

He also noted that his ministry is coordinating continuously with security services and relevant parties, as well as remaining in contact with diplomatic missions, as part of efforts to protect the airport and Lebanese ports from any potential targeting.

However, he was unable to reassure the Lebanese that AIB is protected from any Israeli strike.