Mikati at Arab League calls for Israel withdrawal from occupied territories

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for Israel's withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories Thursday as he participated in an Arab League summit in Bahrain dominated by the Israel-Hamas war.

Mikati urged fellow heads of state and government at the 22-strong grouping in the capital Manama to "pressure Israel to withdraw from our occupied land and stop its violations and attacks on our land, sea and air."

He also called for a complete implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, within a comprehensive package with clear and declared international guarantees.

Resolution 1701, intended to resolve the 2006 Lebanon-Israel War, called for a full cessation of hostilities, the deployment of Lebanese forces to Southern Lebanon, and parallel withdrawal of Israeli forces behind the Blue Line.

Mikati also mentioned the refugee crisis in Lebanon. He said he hoped the Arab Committee on Syria would facilitate and accelerate the return of displaced Syrians to their country.

It is the first time the bloc has come together since an extraordinary summit in Riyadh, capital of neighboring Saudi Arabia, in November that also involved leaders from the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, based in the Saudi city of Jeddah.