Lebanon holds contacts with Arab, other nations, urges international pressure on Israel to halt strikes

By Yusuf Alioglu and Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on Saturday spoke over the phone with several Arab and other foreign officials and urged international pressure on Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon.

According to a statement from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Rajji held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, French Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Deputy US Envoy for Middle East Peace Morgan Ortagus, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Levant and Syria Engagement in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Natasha Franceschi.

The ministry said the calls “were part of diplomatic efforts to contain the escalation in southern Lebanon, and were made in coordination with (Lebanese) President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.”

Rajji urged the officials to apply pressure on Israel to “end its aggression and escalation and contain the dangerous situation along the southern border.”

The talks came after Israel claimed that its settlement of Metula was hit by a rocket attack originating from Lebanon, prompting Israeli forces to retaliate with airstrikes on several villages and towns in southern Lebanon.

This marked the first rocket attack of its kind since a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect nearly four months ago.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on Metula.

A fragile ceasefire had also been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Lebanese authorities reported nearly 1,100 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including the deaths of at least 85 victims and injuries to more than 280.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.