Najib Mikati called for “an end to the terrible massacres” after attacks against Hezbollah attributed to Israel on Tuesday left more than 70 dead and around 3,000 wounded in Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has cancelled his participation in the UN General Assembly in New York following Israeli strikes that sparked a new escalation between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah.
In a statement released on Saturday, Najib Mikati called for an “end to the terrible massacres” after attacks against Hezbollah attributed to Israel since Tuesday have left more than 70 dead and around 3,000 wounded in Lebanon.
“In light of the developments related to the Israeli aggression in Lebanon, I have decided to refrain from travelling and have agreed, following consultations and coordination with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on matters of urgent foreign diplomatic action at this stage,” Mikati said in a statement.
The Lebanese Prime Minister said that he had initially intended to travel to New York as part of the “intensification of Lebanese diplomatic action” during the work of the United Nations General Assembly, with the aim of “stopping the ongoing Israeli offensive and aggression against Lebanon.”
However, in light of recent events, Mikati chose to remain in Lebanon because “at this moment there is no greater priority than stopping the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy.”
Mikati’s decision was motivated by the three latest attacks this week which, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, caused a total of 70 deaths and more than 2,400 injuries in the Mediterranean country.
Source: Observadora
