Lebanese Speaker to UN: Israeli attacks risk war
Shafaq News – Beirut
Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has told a visiting United Nations Security Council delegation that negotiations cannot continue “under Israeli fire,” warning that ongoing strikes risk reigniting war.
Berri, Lebanon’s speaker since 1992 and currently the world’s longest-serving parliamentary chief, leads the Amal Movement and forms the “Shiite duo” with Hezbollah, which together hold 31 of parliament’s 128 seats. He also served as Lebanon’s chief negotiator during the November 27, 2024 ceasefire with Israel.
During the meeting with the 15-member delegation, which arrived in Beirut after a visit to Syria, Berri said Lebanon has “fulfilled all obligations” since the ceasefire took effect, while Israel continues unilateral attacks, detentions, and violations, according to a statement from his Facebook page on Friday.
Stability, he added, requires pressuring Israel to stop daily strikes and withdraw from Lebanese territory, especially as the five-party implementation committee – the “mechanism” – intensifies its work.
Under the ceasefire, Israel was obligated to complete its withdrawal from areas it occupied in southern Lebanon by January 26, 2025. It has instead maintained a presence at five or more sites, citing the need to “protect northern settlements.”
According to the United Nations, the ongoing strikes and occupation have damaged infrastructure and hindered the return of thousands of displaced residents. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health also reported 335 deaths and 973 injuries since the ceasefire began.
Read more: Israel warns Lebanon: Deterrence or descent into new war?
