Israel ‘spreading terror’, Lebanon’s PM tells UN Security Council
Al Jazeera
UNSC told that France, US working on 21-day ceasefire proposal as fighting between Israel, Hezbollah intensifies.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has implored members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to act as Israel’s bombardment of his country has now killed at least 620 people in the three days since Monday.
An urgent meeting of the security council was called on Wednesday by France, with the French foreign minister taking the opportunity to unveil efforts with the United States to reach a temporary pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Israel is violating our sovereignty by sending their warplanes and drones to our skies,” Mikati told the emergency meeting at UN headquarters in New York.
De-escalation is urgently needed, Mikati said, as Israel’s aerial bombardment, attacks on electronic devices and threatened ground invasion have spread “terror and fear among the Lebanese citizens in full view of the world”.
“I hope to come back to my country armed with your explicit stance calling for the cessation of this aggression and for the respect of the sovereignty and safety of my country,” Mikati told the 15 members of the UN’s most powerful body.
