Lebanese PM condemns Beirut attack, calls for international intervention

Beirut: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Wednesday condemned the deadly attack in Beirut's southern suburb Dahieh, warning of a deteriorating situation if Israel continues its "reckless and murderous criminal madness".

"We fear the situation will worsen if the concerned countries and the international community do not rush to stop this dangerous chaos," Mikati said during a Cabinet meeting held to discuss the latest developments, according to a statement released by the Lebanese Council of Ministers.

Mikati called on countries that have been witnessing Israel's violent actions to urge it to cease the attacks, adhere to international resolutions and laws, and implement the Security Council Resolution 1701 which calls for full cessation of hostilities, and deployment of Lebanese forces to Southern Lebanon among other issues, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mikati also vowed to work to save Lebanon and protect its society from any danger, saying "my appeal to the Lebanese is for us all to stand together and be able to prove our unity and confirm our solidarity with our people and our rejection of any aggression that affects any region of Lebanon".

"We will remain in constant contact with Lebanon's friends and Arab brothers to prevent the escalation of the situation, which will have major repercussions," he added.

Earlier, Hezbollah said that civil defence teams were still searching for Fouad Shokor, a senior military advisor to Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in the rubble after he was attacked by an Israeli drone in southern Beirut.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that an Israeli drone conducted a targeted strike on a position near the Shura Council of Hezbollah in Dahieh, "eliminating Fouad Shokor".

While not confirming Shokor's death, Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group and political party, said that since the incident, civil defence teams have been working diligently but slowly to remove the debris due to the condition of the destroyed floors.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rocket attacks launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with the Hamas attack on Israel one day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.