Prime Minister Najib Mikati held a series of meetings at the Grand Serail to keep up with recent developments, particularly the Israeli airstrike on the southern suburb of Beirut last night. In this context, the Prime Minister received the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, leading a delegation that included the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the commander of the international forces operating in the south, UNIFIL General Aruld Lazaro.
The Prime Minister also met with the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, who stated after the meeting: "We discussed the latest developments and expressed our concern over the current situation which is heading towards escalation. We must deal with the repercussions of what happened and await what will occur in the coming hours." In response to a question, he said: "Unfortunately, we are in a situation we have always warned against, and we have consistently urged the concerned parties not to escalate, as we knew that anything could happen in a tense environment. Sadly, we are now in the situation we anticipated, which is why we exerted considerable effort in recent months to avoid escalation." He announced in response to a question: "We will continue our efforts, and we have no reasons not to persist in our endeavors for de-escalation."
The Prime Minister also met with U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson to discuss current developments. He received a phone call from Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who expressed his country's solidarity with Lebanon during these difficult times. He emphasized "the need to work at all levels to mitigate risks to Lebanon," considering that "a peaceful solution alone can ensure stability in the region."
