Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday expressed hope that there will be a de-escalation on Lebanon’s border with Israel, in order to avoid an all-out war between the two states.
“In this difficult time we are going through, we can only be silent, patient and pray,” Mikati was quoted as saying by state news agency NNA after meeting French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
According to the NNA, Séjourné reiterated French support for Lebanon during the meeting.
“What is important for us is that we try to limit the escalation,” the French diplomat said after a meeting with House Speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
“This is the message I conveyed to the Lebanese authorities and the same message I will convey to the other countries in the region.
“We hope that the situation will calm down in these sensitive times.
“What is most important for us is a ceasefire in Gaza. This is the basic factor that is indispensable if we want to pursue peace in the region,” said Séjourné.
The government in Lebanon is barely visible and can barely act in the current crisis. It is only in power on an executive basis, while the political leaders use the vacuum to achieve their own goals.
Hezbollah acts as a state within a state in the small Mediterranean country. It has great political influence and the Lebanese state has little say in the areas it controls. This includes southern Lebanon.
According to Hezbollah’s deputy leader, US attempts to mediate between his organization and Israel are just “show.”
In an interview with Hezbollah’s al-Manar television station, Naim Kassem criticized the fact that US envoy Amos Hochstein did not make a concrete proposal during his visit to Beirut on Wednesday.
Hochstein traveled to Lebanon to advocate for a détente in the military conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Speaker Berri said the meeting with Hochstein had “yielded positive results,” according to Arab media.
Hochstein himself said after the meeting with Berri: “He and I agree that no more time should be wasted.” There are no more “valid reasons” for delays. A deal in the Gaza war would allow for a “diplomatic solution” in Lebanon and prevent the outbreak of a wider war.
Hochstein’s efforts are seen as crucial to preventing further escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Israel have been set on fire daily since the Gaza war began in October, with deaths on both sides.
Hezbollah has vowed revenge after Israel killed its military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut two weeks ago. A large-scale Hezbollah barrage on Israel, possibly in coordination with an Iranian attack, has been expected for days.
Shukr was killed hours before the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Tehran on July 31.
Israel claimed responsibility for the attack on Shukr, but has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Haniyeh’s death.
In addition to Hezbollah, Iran and Hamas have also announced retaliatory measures.
