BEIRUT: Lebanon will file a complaint with the UN Security Council to protest about a series of Israeli attacks that have led to civilian casualties in residential areas, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
“The series of Israeli attacks considered the most violent on March 11 and 12 targeted civilians in residential areas around the city of Baalbek and nearby towns, which led to casualties and injuries among civilians,” a ministry statement said.
Abdullah Bou Habib, Lebanon’s caretaker foreign minister, said: “The concerning thing is that this escalation occurred in areas far from the southern Lebanese borders, indicating Israel’s desire to expand the conflict and drag the entire region into a war that may start with such aggressive acts and turn into a regional war sought by the Israeli government as a lifeline to escape its internal predicament.”
The ministry called on “the international community to pressure Israel to stop its escalating attacks.” It also demanded that members of the Security Council “condemn Israeli attacks against Lebanon and fully implement Resolution 1701 (2006) for permanent stability and peace along Lebanon’s southern borders.”
