Mikati condemns Israeli aggression in South Lebanon, calls for international intervention

NNA – Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Friday began the cabinet session with a strong condemnation of ongoing Israeli attacks on South Lebanon. He emphasized that these deliberate killings, destruction of towns, and burning of crops are not only condemnable, but also constitute a destructive and terrorist aggression that the international community must halt. Mikati reiterated Lebanon's commitment to fully implementing UN Resolution 1701.

The PM then expressed gratitude to friendly nations for their efforts to halt Israeli aggression and welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2732, which outlines a roadmap to cease the fighting in Gaza. He urged for its swift implementation to prevent a broader regional conflict.

This week, Mikati attended the "Emergency Humanitarian Response in Gaza" conference in Jordan, where Lebanon's presence and stance were reinforced. He emphasized the need for continued support for Lebanon and pressure on Israel. The conference laid the groundwork for another event to launch a support campaign for Gaza and affected areas.

Mikati further highlighted the prolonged vacancy in Lebanon's presidency, urging all parties to engage in dialogue to elect a new president and restore stability to the country's institutions. He welcomed and appreciated all initiatives towards this goal.

The Prime Minister also acknowledged the Internal Security Forces on their anniversary, thanking the UAE for its support and commending Qatar for its continuous efforts to enhance the capabilities of the Lebanese Army.

He celebrated the recognition of the Lebanese University by QS Rankings for 2025 as the top institution in Lebanon for its professional and academic reputation.

Mikati went on to address the proposal from the Ministry of Economy and Trade regarding Qatar Electricity's offer. He detailed the steps taken to negotiate the development of 100 MW of solar power in two locations, highlighting the need for legal and contractual clarity. He noted that TotalEnergies had withdrawn from acquiring existing licenses and emphasized the necessity of a legal framework for a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.

Looking ahead to the summer tourism season, Mikati praised the efforts of the Minister of Tourism and expressed hope for a successful season that would bolster Lebanon's status on the global tourism map, welcoming both Lebanese expatriates and Arab visitors.

Mikati concluded by reaffirming his respect for the judiciary amid recent political debates, clarifying the government's position on legal matters related to old rent laws and teachers. He extended his best wishes to all the Lebanese for a peaceful and blessed Eid al-Adha.

Mikati at “Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” conference in Jordan: Our south and its people are in a real catastrophe

NNA - Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday delivered a word at the  ‘Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza’ Conference, held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center in the Dead Sea, Jordan, saying, “We are meeting today to support the people of Gaza in the face of the Israeli aggression. I am coming today from a homeland that is suffering the repercussions of this war on its land, including killing, displacement and destruction."

“The approach of destruction followed by Israel is unprecedented in history, and we experience it daily in Lebanon on the land of our precious south, which has been drenched with the blood of the martyrs and the wounded and has become a land scorched by the lava of crimality, as a repercussion  to the destructive plan in Gaza and a continuation of it,” Premier Mikati said.

“From this platform, we call on the countries of the world to intervene with all force to stop what is happening after 75 years of ignoring the rights of the Palestinians, in the hope that Security Council Resolution No. 2735 that was issued yesterday, which we welcome in the name of the Lebanese state, will be the first step, even if modest, towards stability, in order to reach the desired peace through the Palestinians gaining their right to their independent state. All else are mere projects that will not succeed, and cannot be imposed by the force of reality or the reality of force,” Mikati added.

“Lebanon is accustomed to feeling the Arab pain and carrying the issues of the Arabs because they are its people and family and it has paid a heavy price in terms of the lives of its people and its infrastructure. Today, Lebanon is ready to provide relief to the injured in Gaza, especially children, in its hospitals and to support them as an expression of its solidarity with them, in addition to helping to equip and rehabilitate medical cadres to compensate for Israel’s killing of hundreds of health sector workers.”

“We are also ready to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority to complete the necessary administrative arrangements to facilitate the crossing of the wounded for treatment and then return safely to their country quickly.”

Mikati continued: “You, beloved ones, can imagine the extent of the damage occurring in Lebanon as a result of the ongoing aggression since the eighth of last October. The damage is enormous in educational facilities, health, developmental and agricultural facilities, as well as in livestock and agricultural wealth.”

The PM concluded: “Our south and its people, are in a real and indescribable catastrophe, and the ongoing aggression is continuing to systematically kill, destroy and burn, turning southern Lebanon into a barren and scorched land. Therefore, I am presenting this matter to you so that you can be, as you have always been, standing by your second country, Lebanon, and I am confident that you will not fall short in that... of stretching a helping hand and assisting and repairing the damage, and helping and supporting people in reconstruction and steadfastness... because the symbolic Lebanon will remain an important country for you, no matter how severe the crises are.”

Mikati from parliament: EU aid to Lebanon unconditional

NNA - Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati explained Wednesday to the parliament that the fresh aid package offered to Lebanon by the European Union is unconditioned, and that no agreement has been signed in that respect.

"I confirm that the aid is not conditioned by any prior or subsequent condition, and no agreement has been inked with the European Union regarding it," Mikati told a parliament session devoted to discussing the aid and the displaced Syrians' file.

Mikati stressed the necessity of full accord between the Lebanese to resolve the Syria displacement issue.

"The European aid announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the presence of the Cypriot President is a confirmation of the periodic aid the European Commission has been providing to Lebanon for years," Mikati said.

"This European support is devoted to the basic services offered by the Commission to the governmental institutions in the fields of social protection, education, water and healthcare," he explained.

"The President of the European Commission has promised a re-evaluation of this aid every six months in light of Lebanon's need. She also promised doubled amounts and European investments in Lebanon once the required reform laws are approved," he added.

"We insisted that this aid be aimed at encouraging the Syrian displaced to return to their country and not to stay in Lebanon," he said.

"The government has never failed to make the suitable decision regarding the displaced file, and the army and security apparatuses are assuming their duties to curb the unjustified displacement which is threatening the independence of our entity," he underlined.

"What is needed today is a unified national position away from outbidding and accusations," he concluded.

2 Photos
Print


Mikati: What southern Lebanon is witnessing is a result of Israel’s worsening attacks on national sovereignty
Saturday, Nov 11, 2023

NNA – In his delivered address at the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit that opened this afternoon in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that what is happening in the south of Lebanon is a result of Israel’s worsening attacks on national sovereignty and its continued violation of UN Resolution #1701.

“Since the outbreak of the Gaza events, I have personally taken the initiative to launch public calls to preserve calm and restraint on the southern border, and I issued warnings against the expansion of the destructive war in Gaza to southern Lebanon and from there to the region,” he said.

Mikati considered that today’s emergency summit in Saudi Arabia comes to affirm the centrality of the issue of Palestine, land and people, and the values it holds that everyone believes in.

Referring to the tragic scenes of the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, the premeditated slaughtering of childhood, the deadly Israeli attack on journalists and the three girls who were martyred with their grandmother due to Israeli treachery in southern Lebanon, and the continued systematic destruction, Mikati considered that all words of condemnation fail as time has proven that Israel has no weight for any words of denouncement nor is it deterred by international law or human conscience.

“Therefore, at this moment that brings us together in the land of the Two Holy Mosques, we are called to solidarity and joint action to save Palestine and Gaza. We all reviewed the catastrophic situation, but we have to move to the decision box...We must work together to establish an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, open the crossings and bring aid to our brothers in Gaza, and launch a serious and effective political path that pushes towards a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to our central issue,” Mikati underscored.

He continued to stress that “in order to reach a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the two-state solution remains the best path forward, and seeking to build a better future for all of us on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative launched at the Beirut Summit in 2002.”

“Our choice in Lebanon has always been and still is peace, and our culture is a culture of peace based on truth and justice, international law, and international legitimacy resolutions,” Mikati underlined. However, he stressed that the Lebanese are a people who have not accepted, and will not accept, attacks on their sovereignty, national dignity, territorial integrity, and on their civilians, especially children and women.

“Today we renew before you Lebanon’s commitment to international legitimacy - especially Resolution 1701 - and we stress the necessity of pressuring Israel to implement all of its provisions and oblige it to stop its provocations and aggression against our homeland,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Mikati said that Lebanon has always advocated the Palestinian cause and it has paid, and is still paying, the price of the Israeli aggression. “The apparent weakness of the structure of our state is only due to its falling on this seismic fault that caused it to be plunged into vacuum and void...But we are accustomed to your help, and I do not need to emphasize that all Lebanese, without exception, stand with Gaza and Palestine, and they hope that all Arabs will be their embrace and fortress to ward off collapse,” he concluded.

more videos
مقابلة مع الرئيس نجيب ميقاتي على قناة هلا Arabia