Mikati: Talk of pacification limited to Lebanon illogical

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday noted that pacifying the situation in south Lebanon without taking into consideration what’s happening in Gaza would be “illogical.”

“We have told all envoys that talking about pacification exclusively in Lebanon is an illogical thing,” Mikati said at the beginning of a Cabinet session.

“Based on our Arab identity and principles, we demand a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, in parallel with a serious ceasefire in Lebanon,” Mikati added.

“We do not accept that our brothers be facing genocide and destruction as we seek an own agreement with anyone,” the premier went on to say.

More than three months of cross-border violence have killed 190 people in Lebanon, including more than 140 Hezbollah fighters and over 20 civilians including three journalists. In northern Israel, nine soldiers and at least four civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.

The violence has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border.