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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Lebanon seeks to avoid joining the conflict, escalation still possible, PM says

According to Najib Mikati, Lebanon is "in the middle of a storm" caused by the conflict

Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati

© REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

BEIRUT, October 30. /TASS/. Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati intends to prevent his country from being pulled into the Middle East conflict, but does not rule out a further escalation.

"I perform my duties by preventing Lebanon from being pulled into the war," he said in an interview for AFP, adding that he "does not rule out" a further escalation of the conflict.

According to the Prime Minister, Lebanon is "in the middle of a storm" caused by the conflict.

"I do not rule out an escalation, because there is a race to achieve a ceasefire before the conflict spreads to the entire region," Mikati added.

Previously, Mikati told Sky News Arabia that, if Lebanon gets pulled into the conflict, that would mean chaos for the entire Middle East.

The situation in the Middle East has escalated abruptly after an armed infiltration of HAMAS militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The HAMAS movement considers this attack a response to the actions of Israeli authorities towards the Al Aqsa Mosque at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israel announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip and started carrying out strikes on the enclave and certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.

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Lebanon Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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