Miqati Rejects Israel's Use of Lebanese Airspace to Attack Syria
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati condemned on Tuesday Israel's use of Lebanese airspace to carry out airstrikes on Syria, telling the ambassadors of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members that Lebanon rejects being shoved into the Syrian crisis.
Miqati informed the ambassadors at a meeting at the Grand Serail that was also attended by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly that the Lebanese Armed Forces were incapable of fully controlling activity on the porous border with Syria for lacking the appropriate equipment.
He condemned almost daily rocket attacks and shelling on villages and towns bordering Syria and rejected the use of Lebanese territories to “push Lebanon into the developments in Syria.”
He also slammed daily Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, saying the overflights that are aimed at striking Syria are also rejected.
The latest strikes near Damascus allegedly targeted caches of Iranian missiles that were bound for Hizbullah.
Although Israel has not officially acknowledged it carried out the airstrikes, Syrian officials on Monday blamed Israel, calling it a "declaration of war" that would cause the Jewish state to "suffer."
Miqati reiterated his call for the Security Council to give utmost importance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, saying the Lebanese authorities were no longer able to provide full care to them.
He urged the U.N. to dispatch envoys to the areas where the refugees are concentrated to hear their daily needs.
The “UK backs UNSC visit idea, given gravity of situation,” said British Ambassador Tom Fletcher on twitter after he attended the meeting at Grand Serail.
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