Mar 24, (V7N) - Lebanese leaders are engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts with the United States, France, and the United Nations to prevent an Israeli bombing of Beirut, a senior Lebanese official confirmed on Monday. This follows heavy Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon over the weekend, which killed eight people in retaliation for rocket fire into Israeli territory.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Beirut could face the same fate as Metula, the northern Israeli town hit by the rockets. In response, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have urged international actors to de-escalate tensions and prevent a wider conflict.

The Lebanese army has dismantled three makeshift rocket batteries near the Litani River, an area covered under the ceasefire agreement, and detained two Syrians who witnessed the attack. However, Hezbollah denied involvement, and no group has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire.

Despite the November ceasefire, Israel still holds strategic positions in Lebanon, and Hezbollah remains a target of Israeli airstrikes, raising concerns about further escalation in the region.

END/WD/RH/