UN Peace Operations Chief to arrive in Lebanon Tuesday
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According to a UN spokesperson, Lacroix is scheduled to meet with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut including the Lebanese Prime Minister as well as army commanders.
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Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, speaks at the UN Peacekeeping ministerial meeting at the Accra International Conference Center in Ghana on December 6, 2023. (AP)
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, will visit Lebanon for three days beginning November 12.
Dujarric detailed that Lacroix's visit would see him "expressing solidarity and support for peacekeepers, troop contributing countries and other partners, as well as the communities served by our peacekeeping mission in Lebanon."
According to the UN spokesperson, the diplomat is scheduled to meet with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut, including interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, interim Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, interim Defense Minister Maurice Sleem, army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, and foreign diplomats.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, through its Public Health Emergency Operations Center, released its daily report on Sunday outlining the toll from ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. The ministry reported that, as of Saturday, the total toll of the war on Lebanon has reached 3,186 martyrs and 14,078 injuries.
Israeli official covertly visits Russia for Lebanon ceasefire talks
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer traveled to Russia last week on a secret visit seemingly amid efforts to secure a ceasefire on the northern front with Lebanon.
The Times of Israel reported that Russia, as a key actor in Syria and a diplomatic player in efforts to end the Israeli war on Lebanon, could play a crucial role in securing a ceasefire agreement to bring an end to the ongoing aggression.
Earlier in October, Russia's Foreign Ministry took a striking stance against the aggression in the Middle East, issuing a message accusing the West of escalating the Middle East war and demonstrating hypocrisy by supporting "Israel", which has killed hundreds [now thousands] of civilians in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah's Media Relations Officer, Mohammad Afif, denied all claims that Lebanon received proposals for a constructive ceasefire.
Afif responded to Israeli claims regarding the reduction of Hezbollah's missile arsenal to about 20%, saying the reality is evident on the field, recalling the Resistance's rocket launches to Tel Aviv's suburbs and Haifa, as well as the targeting of several military bases in the occupied Golan and Haifa, which had been intact, until recently.
He further exemplified the introduction of the Fateh-110 missile, confirming that Hezbollah possesses a wider and larger variety, which will be deployed as per the adequate management of the group's leadership.
On the occasion of Martyr's Day, Afif reiterated the Resistance's readiness, assuring that fighters on the frontlines possess more than enough weapons, equipment, and supplies to last the long war, for which preparations are ongoing on all levels.
According to Afif, after 45 days of fatal fighting, five military units, two brigades, and 65,000 soldiers, the Israeli occupation has failed to occupy a single Lebanese village.
He highlighted that the "epic Battle of Khiam" is but a testament of the Resistance fighters' heroism, resilience, and unbreakable will to fight.
