Lebanon says it is working with Hezbollah to prevent war

 

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told Media on Sunday that the government is working with Hezbollah and Palestinian groups in Lebanon to prevent a war. 

“We are working with Hezbollah and other Palestinian organizations here to prevent a war, and we’d like the US also to pressure Israel not to start a war,” he told Media. 

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that "all scenarios" are possible on the Lebanon-Israel border, warning Israel against further escalation of its operations on the Lebanese border, as he repeated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Bou Habib said Israel provokes Lebanon “every day” and said he believes Hezbollah does not want a war. 

“We are under the impression, they didn’t tell us, but we are under the impression that there wouldn’t be any big war coming unless Israel attacks Lebanon or the situation gets very bad in Gaza,” said. 

He said he believes Hezbollah when it says it had no prior knowledge to the October 7 attack by Hamas but conceded that that doesn’t mean the two groups don’t have relations with one another. 

“One small incident can start a war. Hopefully not, Lebanese do not want war, I don’t think Hezbollah wants a war … hopefully the Israelis don’t start a war with us,” he said. 

Some background: There has been an ongoing exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah across the border over the past weeks following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7.