Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in a phone call on Saturday to prevent Israel from further military escalation in southern Lebanon warning of “severe consequences”.
“In their telephone call, the talks between Mikati and Lammy focused on the security developments in southern Lebanon and the need to intensify efforts to stop the spiraling violence”, Mikati’s press office said in a statement.
The Lebanese PM emphasized the "necessity of pressuring the Israeli enemy to stop its direct targeting of towns and villages in the south, leading to casualties, injuries, and severe destruction”. Mikati expressed concerns that "the current cycle of violence could lead to a dangerous escalation."
Lammy, for his part, assured that he would intensify his diplomatic efforts to halt the rising risk of a broader deterioration.
Message of Defiance
Hezbollah MP, Hasan Ezzedine, noted that a new video released by the party showcasing an underground military facility "Imad 4" and an extensive tunnel network is in itself a “challenge” to Israel.
He said Israel should take the “capabilities” of the “Resistance” very seriously.
During a commemorative celebration, Ezzedine stated that Israel must not misinterpret the Resistance’s “self-restraint and silence” as a “sign of weakness”, noting that the party is “prepared for any foolish act” although it “does not seek a broader war”.
He concluded saying that the response of the Resistance and that of Iran are “inevitable” and “independent” of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Qatar and their potential outcomes.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire since the Gaza war started. An Israeli strike Saturday killed at least 10 Syrians, including a woman and her two children, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot.
Truce talks are set to resume in Cairo in the coming days. US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have said negotiations to clinch a ceasefire in the more than 10-month-old war were making progress, and US President Joe Biden said "we are closer than we have ever been".
