Lebanon in Most Critical Stage in History With About 1Mln People Displaced, PM Says
14:38 01.10.2024 (Updated: 15:46 01.10.2024)
© AP Photo / Hussein Malla
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BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Lebanon is going through the most dangerous stage of its history amid Israel’s attacks, and the United Nations needs to continue providing support to the country, as approximately 1 million people have been displaced, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Tuesday.
"We are meeting today at a time when Lebanon is facing one of the most critical junctures in its history, with nearly one million people displaced due to the devastating war waged by Israel," Mikati said at a meeting with representatives of UN agencies and foreign ambassadors, adding that Beirut and UN agencies have established a clear and effective framework for rapid delivery of aid.
The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border worsened after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. Israel began carrying out massive strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon in late September. The Lebanese movement Hezbollah retaliated by firing dozens of rockets toward northern Israel. On Saturday, Hezbollah confirmed that its chief Hassan Nasrallah had been killed in the Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Friday.
The United States, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and others have called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire on the border between the two countries. On Monday night, Israel launched "limited" and "targeted" ground raids in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah infrastructure.
