Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi asked Britain on Thursday to pressure Israel to halt attacks on Lebanon, as Beirut continues to urge implementation of an agreement providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, according to a statement from the Lebanese foreign minister's media office.
Raggi made the request during a call he received from the UK Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan Stephen Doughty.
It said Doughty reaffirmed the UK's "steadfast and enduring support for Lebanon."
The two ministers discussed developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the period following the end of the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"I called on the United Kingdom to exert pressure on Israel to halt its ongoing attacks against Lebanese territory," said Raggi.
The Lebanese minister also briefed Doughty on progress made toward placing weapons exclusively under state control, without providing details.
UNIFIL's mandate is due to expire at the end of 2026. The force has been deployed in Lebanon since 1978 under UN Security Council resolutions to monitor the cessation of hostilities and help maintain security and stability in the area.
Raggi's call came on the day Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said, during a preparatory meeting in Paris for an international conference to support the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces, that completing implementation of the agreement with Israel and consolidating stability cannot be achieved while Israeli attacks, violations and occupation of parts of Lebanese territory continue.
Aoun urged Lebanon's friends and partners to help fully implement what has been agreed and deal with Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity as a fixed principle that is not subject to selectivity.
On June 26, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-sponsored "framework formula" in Washington providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and deployment of the Lebanese army in areas vacated by Israeli forces.
Israel continues to carry out attacks on southern Lebanon despite the agreement, and still occupies areas in the south, some for decades and others seized during recent wars and military operations.
At the end of the call, Rajji invited Doughty to visit Lebanon, and the British minister promised to accept the invitation at the earliest opportunity, according to the statement.
