Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, stressing the need to halt Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Mikati made the plea during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut, marking Barrot’s visit as the first by a foreign diplomat since the escalation of Israeli strikes.
“The key to resolving this conflict is to stop Israeli aggression against Lebanon and to revive the ceasefire appeal launched by the United States and France,” Mikati stated, according to a release from his office.
He also reiterated the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Barrot’s visit coincided with a deadly strike in Beirut that targeted key militant strongholds.
In Tyre, an Israeli airstrike killed Fateh Sherif, a Hamas leader in Lebanon, at the al-Bass refugee camp.
Sherif had been under suspension from his position at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following allegations related to his political activities.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) and Israeli Security Agency (ISA) confirmed Sherif’s role in coordinating Hamas’ activities with Hezbollah, accusing him of facilitating weapons procurement and recruitment in Lebanon.
Sherif’s death follows a series of Israeli strikes that have targeted militant groups across Lebanon, including the killing of three leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The escalation has seen over 1,000 casualties in Lebanon, with tensions rising across the region.
Iran has vowed retaliation, while U.S. President Joe Biden has called for diplomatic efforts to prevent a full-scale war in the Middle East.
