Lebanon to File UN Complaint over Israeli Aggression

Prime Minister Najib Mikati meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib (Dalati and Nohra)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib (Dalati and Nohra)
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Lebanon to File UN Complaint over Israeli Aggression

Prime Minister Najib Mikati meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib (Dalati and Nohra)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib (Dalati and Nohra)

Lebanon said on Sunday that it intends to file a complaint with the UN Security Council against Israel's aggression on Lebanon, following a rocket barrage fired at Israel from southern Lebanon on Thursday.

Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Bou Habib, said the complaint is to be presented by the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the UN, Jean Murad, to both the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Security Council.

The complaint was decided to be filed at the request of Abdullah and after consultations with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Lebanon renewed refusals that its territories be exploited as a platform to destabilize stability but also stressed its legitimate right to self-defense.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the lines of communication open with the United Nations and UNIFIL forces as the best means to solve problems and maintain calm and stability.

On Friday, Israel unleashed rare airstrikes on southern Lebanon and bombarded the Gaza Strip.

The early morning strikes followed a large rocket barrage fired at Israel from southern Lebanon.

The violence erupted after Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem earlier in the week, sparking unrest in the contested capital and outrage across the Arab world.

Voicing alarm over the latest developments in the region, mainly the escalation on its southern border, Lebanon said the Israeli airstrikes on its territory are a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Lebanon, endangering the life of people and the safety of the land.

Cautious calm prevails in southern Lebanon after the Israeli response to the missiles. Only material damages were reported in the Lebanese areas hit by the missiles, according to the National News Agency.

The Lebanese army found on Friday a deserted rocket launcher in the Al-Qolayle plains in the south. The launcher, which contained 12 rocket compartments, contained several unlaunched rockets.



Explosion Reported at US Military Facility Near Baghdad Airport 

A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)
A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)
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Explosion Reported at US Military Facility Near Baghdad Airport 

A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)
A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)

Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the US military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran's president.

The expected visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad Wednesday would be his first official trip abroad since taking office.

Iraq’s security media cell said in a statement that an explosion was heard at 11 p.m. at the airport, in an area used by advisers to the US-led international coalition.

The statement said Iraqi security forces were unable to determine the "type or causes of the explosion, and no party has claimed responsibility for it." It added that the incident was under investigation and civilian air traffic continued as normal.

There was no immediate information on damage or casualties.

US officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

An Iraqi security official at the airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said that officials who were at the airport preparing for Pezeshkian’s visit heard "the sound of two strong strikes," which apparently targeted a logistics support site for the coalition.

Over the past 11 months, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have periodically targeted bases housing US forces in Iraq and have said that the strikes were in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza.

One of those militias, Kataib Hezbollah, appeared to be trying to distance itself from Tuesday night’s strike.

Jaafar al-Husseini, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement that the targeting of the airport was "carried out by suspicious hands, and its aim is to disrupt the Iranian president’s visit to Baghdad."