Mikati says 'God willing,' south won't see further escalation
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday said Lebanese officials are “continuing contacts with all the relevant local and international parties in order to spare Lebanon war.”
Saluting “the souls of the martyrs,” Mikati said that “God willing, things will not further escalate.”
At least 313 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah on October 8 -- most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 53 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed, according to the latest official figures.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting on both sides of the border.
Strikes have largely remained confined to border regions for the moment, but several have hit Hezbollah positions further north in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown conflict.
The group has repeatedly said that it will only stop its attacks on Israel with a ceasefire in Gaza.
But Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said recently that any truce in Gaza would not change Israel's goal of pushing Hezbollah away from the border, by force or diplomacy.
Source: Naharnet
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