Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a Lebanese ceasefire proposal.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Berri revealed that Netanyahu “rejected the Lebanese roadmap that we agreed over with (US envoy to Lebanon) Amos Hochstein.”
Political efforts to resolve the conflict in Lebanon will have to wait until after the US presidential election on Tuesday, he added.
Berri refused to make predictions over what the situation in Lebanon will be like after the election, saying that one thing is certain, that the issue has been postponed until after the polls.
Lebanon will now have to contend with the developments on the ground, he added, saying he fears the country could be “turned into another Gaza.”
Moreover, he revealed that Hochstein had not contacted him since he left Israel earlier this week.
Lebanon remains committed to United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, he stressed.
Berri held talks on Friday with head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Aroldo Lazaro Saenz.
He told him that Israel has “wasted since September several viable opportunities to reach a ceasefire and implement resolution 1701 and allow the displaced on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”
A statement from the speaker’s office said he briefed the UNIFIL commander on the agreement that was reached with Hochstein in his efforts to reach a ceasefire and implement resolution 1701.
He reiterated his commitment to the resolution, saying it was the “only option” to achieve security and stability in the region.
Lazaro also met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who underlined the international peacekeeping force’s role in the South and condemned Israel’s attacks and threats against it.
Lebanon remains committed to resolution 1701, he declared, while “Israeli statements and diplomatic signals received by Lebanon indicate that Tel Aviv refuses the solutions that are on the table and is insistent on its policy of killing and destruction.”
“The situation demands that the international community assume its historic and moral responsibilities in stopping this assault,” he continued.
