Beirut – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati refuted media reports on Tuesday that claimed he had been warned by Israel of an impending large-scale attack on Lebanon.
“News and leaks are circulating about warnings received by the Prime Minister that the Israeli enemy may launch a wide-scale attack on Lebanon,” Mikati’s media office stated. “These reports and leaks are unfounded,” the office continued, labeling them as part of the “pressure being exerted on Lebanon.”
Mikati’s office also highlighted that the Prime Minister is actively involved in “extensive diplomatic contacts” to “halt the ongoing Israeli aggression on southern Lebanon.”
Earlier, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is aligned with the Hezbollah group, reported that “most international envoys to Beirut are conveying their concerns about the seriousness of the Israeli threat” of war on Lebanon. The report mentioned that “the most notable messages came from the British side, which specified a date for the Israeli strike in mid-June.” According to the newspaper, London advised Beirut to “take necessary provisioning measures for a war whose scope and duration are unknown.”
Despite Mikati’s denial, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated on Tuesday that the Israeli military is “very ready” to engage Hezbollah in Lebanon and is “approaching the point where a decision will have to be made.” Halevi’s comments followed an assessment on Israel’s northern border with Israeli Fire and Rescue Services Commissioner Eyal Caspi and several military leaders, as per a military statement.
Since Sunday, northern Israeli settlements and towns have experienced numerous fires caused by Hezbollah’s rocket launches and explosive-laden drones from Lebanon. Tensions have escalated along the border between Lebanon and Israel, with intermittent exchanges of fire marking the most deadly clashes since their full-scale war in 2006.
The border conflict coincides with an ongoing Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 36,400 casualties since a major attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7 of last year.–News Desk