Lebanon does not want war with Israel, parliament speaker says

By Wassim Saifuldine

BEIRUT (AA) – Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Thursday that Lebanon does not want war with Israel amid an escalation of tension along the border with Israel.

"Lebanon does not want war, but at the same time it is ready to defend itself,” Berri said during a meeting in Beirut with a British ministerial delegation, which included Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey.

A statement issued by Berri’s office said the two sides discussed developments in Lebanon and the region in light of Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

“By rejecting all proposals and persisting in breaking the rules of engagement and [committing] assassinations, Israel is dragging the region towards unforeseen dangers,” Berri said.

The British delegation, for its part, underlined the importance of reaching a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Israel launched an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb that killed Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukr, whom Tel Aviv blamed for Saturday’s missile attack that killed 12 people in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in Israel-occupied Golan Heights.

Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between the two sides.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of a deadly Israeli onslaught on Gaza which has killed nearly 39,500 people since last October following an attack by Hamas.