Monday 30 / December / 2024
Beirut: The Prime Minister of Lebanon’s caretaker government Najib Mikati called on the Lebanese people to unite in solidarity in order to face the Israeli aggression on Lebanon affecting them all.
In a statement during an emergency cabinet session, Mikati urged the Lebanese people to demonstrate national responsibility in such a way as to preserve national unity and solidarity, explaining that Lebanon’s unity has been its strongest weapon in face of the Israeli enemy’s criminal schemes and attempts to spread division.
The Lebanese caretaker PM said that all the meetings he held at the United Nations reflected absolute support from Lebanon’s friends and an emphasis on the need to put an end to the Israeli aggression.
However, he noted that the law of the jungle that governs the world has allowed the Israeli enemy to thwart all efforts to achieve a ceasefire and continue its war against Lebanon, showing no regard for international laws nor charters.
Mikati said that the events that took place and are still ongoing in the southern suburbs of Beirut and several areas across the country, are clear proof of Israel’s hidden objectives.
The caretaker Prime Minister reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to international legitimacy and law, demanding urgent action to halt the Israeli aggression and implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and all relevant international resolutions.
He also called for swift action to elect a president, stating that all of Lebanon’s sects and factions are under threat.
Nearly 2mn displaced
Nearly two million Lebanese citizens have been displaced as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon over the past week, which has left hundreds dead and injured, according to a Lebanese government official.
Minister of Environment in the caretaker government of Lebanon Nasser Yassin, who is coordinating the current crisis response, said in a press briefing that approximately one million Lebanese have been displaced due to the continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 23 September 2024, with hundreds of thousands fleeing in just the past two days.
On Saturday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi announced that over 200,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon.
More than 50,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have now crossed into Syria fleeing Israeli airstrikes, Grandi said in a post on X.
Heavy air strikes
Israel conducted heavy air strikes on various governorates and regions in Lebanon, particularly the capital Beirut and villages and towns in the south. These attacks have killed and wounded nearly 3,000 people.
The murder toll from yesterday’s Israeli attacks alone reached 33 people, with 195 others wounded. Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Public Health Firas Abiad announced that since the start of the Israeli aggression on 8 October 2023, the murder toll has risen to 1,640, with 8,408 injured.
