Lebanon's interim prime minister calls for international pressure on Israel to stop attacks on his country

(Patria) - Lebanon's interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday that countries should pressure Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon following the United Nations Security Council decision calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Reuters reported.

The Israeli army and the Lebanese group Hezbollah have been exchanging fire across the southern Lebanese border in parallel with the war in Gaza. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the UN vote. In a statement shared by his office, Mikati welcomed the move, saying it was "the first step on the path to stopping Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip".

"When it comes to Lebanon, we renew our call to concerned countries to pressure the
Israeli enemy to stop its continuous aggression against southern Lebanon," he stated.

Mikati told Reuters in February that a ceasefire in Gaza would trigger indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel to stop border hostilities and delineate the disputed border between the two countries.

Hezbollah said it would stop attacking Israel if a ceasefire was reached in Gaza. Israeli and US officials have said a ceasefire in Gaza would not automatically extend to Lebanon.