Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati confirmed in an interview with Agence France-Presse that he is "working to prevent Lebanon from entering the war," indicating that "the country is currently in the eye of the storm." Mikati emphasized, "We are working for peace, and as a government, we are responsible for the general situation and any repercussions we may face following any additional tensions."
In response to a question about whether he sensed in his communications an intention from "Hezbollah" to avoid escalation, he revealed that "so far, I see that Hezbollah is managing these issues rationally and wisely, and the conditions of the game remain limited."
Mikati clarified that he "cannot reassure the Lebanese because matters are linked to developments in the region," stressing that "the Lebanese people do not want to enter any war and seek stability." He added, "I cannot dismiss any escalation in Lebanon that may occur because there is a race between a ceasefire (in Gaza) and escalation across the region," expressing his fear of "a security chaos not just in Lebanon, but throughout the entire Middle East if a ceasefire in Gaza is not achieved."
