Lebanese Prime Minister Calls Off UN Visit as Tensions with Israel Increase
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called off a scheduled visit to the UN amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has decided to forego his plans to attend the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York due to a series of deadly explosions largely attributed to Israel.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands of communication devices associated with the militant group Hezbollah detonated simultaneously across Lebanon, resulting in nearly 40 fatalities and around 3,000 injuries, affecting both militants and civilians.
While officials in West Jerusalem did not confirm or deny any involvement, media reports indicated that Israeli spy agency Mossad was implicated in rigging hand-held pagers and walkie-talkies with explosives.
These explosions prompted retaliatory rocket attacks from Hezbollah and subsequent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mikati called on the international community to denounce the “horrific Israeli massacres.” He remarked, “In light of the developments related to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, I decided to cancel my trip. There is no priority at present that surpasses stopping the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy and the multiple types of wars it is waging.”
Israeli officials have reiterated their commitment to using all necessary measures to prevent Hezbollah from launching rockets into northern Israel. Tensions escalated in October 2023 following a Hamas-led raid into Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza, leading to exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared on Wednesday that the nation has entered a “new phase in the war” against Hezbollah, pledging to “continue to act to undermine the capabilities of” the Lebanese-based militant group.
Several nations, including Russia and China, along with the UN, have condemned the use of electronic communication devices as weapons. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for an investigation into the situation.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands of communication devices associated with the militant group Hezbollah detonated simultaneously across Lebanon, resulting in nearly 40 fatalities and around 3,000 injuries, affecting both militants and civilians.
While officials in West Jerusalem did not confirm or deny any involvement, media reports indicated that Israeli spy agency Mossad was implicated in rigging hand-held pagers and walkie-talkies with explosives.
These explosions prompted retaliatory rocket attacks from Hezbollah and subsequent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mikati called on the international community to denounce the “horrific Israeli massacres.” He remarked, “In light of the developments related to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, I decided to cancel my trip. There is no priority at present that surpasses stopping the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy and the multiple types of wars it is waging.”
Israeli officials have reiterated their commitment to using all necessary measures to prevent Hezbollah from launching rockets into northern Israel. Tensions escalated in October 2023 following a Hamas-led raid into Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza, leading to exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared on Wednesday that the nation has entered a “new phase in the war” against Hezbollah, pledging to “continue to act to undermine the capabilities of” the Lebanese-based militant group.
Several nations, including Russia and China, along with the UN, have condemned the use of electronic communication devices as weapons. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for an investigation into the situation.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
