Lebanon Minister Says Situation Could ‘Get Out of Hand’

21 August 2024, Lebanon, Nabi Sheet: Lebanese women mourn during the funeral of a Hezbollah militant, who was killed in an Israeli air raid that struck what believed to be an ammunition depot in the village of Nabi Sheet in Lebanese eastern Bekaa valley. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa

Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib raised concerns on Friday amid an escalating tension between Hezbollah and Israel saying that the “situation in the region could spiral out of control” should the Gaza ceasefire negotiations fail.
Israel intensified its attacks on southern Lebanon at dawn on Wednesday after a missile attack carried out by Hezbollah on the Golan Heights that incurred damages to around 60 residential places, according to Israeli media.
Amid the spiraling tension, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea raised concerns that the Rafic Hariri International Airport (RHIA), the country’s sole civilian aviation terminal, is being subject to Israeli threats. He said operating a second airport in the country’s north should be taken into consideration.
“Can someone explain to us why the government does not embark on operating the Qoleiaat airport” in the north, he stated on X. “Its infrastructure is almost complete. It only needs some technical equipment”.
“Everyone knows that the Beirut airport is subject to threats. Governments are supposed to ease things for its citizens”, he said, criticizing parties who reject the reopening of Qoleiaat airport.
Late in July, several international airlines suspended their flights to Beirut as tension escalated between Israel and Hezbollah following the assassination of senior military commander Fuad Shukr in the southern suburbs of Beirut, near RHIA airport.
Operating Qoleiaat airport, as a substitute for the country’s main terminal, has been a constant demand of some political forces amid Israeli’s security threats.
Since Hezbollah opened a front in southern Lebanon to support Gaza, Lebanese lives have been upended, with fears that this support could escalate into a devastating war.
In a telephone call with Japan Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa, Abou Habib warned that “if the peace negotiations on Gaza fail, the situation in the region could spiral out of control”.
Meanwhile, the country’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said that Lebanon is committed to UNIFIL’s mission in the south, amid the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
He said cooperation between the Lebanese military and UNIFIL forces is crucial, and rejected claims of differences and discrepancies, adding that “any issues arising during task implementation are promptly resolved”.
Mikati emphasized that “the main message that Lebanon underscores in all its diplomatic communications is the implementation of Resolution 1701, which serves as the cornerstone for ensuring stability and security in southern Lebanon.”
On Wednesday, Hezbollah launched more than 50 rockets, hitting a number of private homes in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
The party said the attack was in response to an Israeli strike deep into Lebanon on Tuesday night.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks on south Lebanon have left 564 people dead and 2412 injured, since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict began on October 7, 2023.