Lebanese prime minister cancels participation in UN General Assembly after Israeli attacks

Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati has cancelled his participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York because of the recent Israeli attacks and the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah attack each other almost daily, but the conflict has escalated over the past week. Since Tuesday, more than 70 people have been killed in attacks by Israel or attacks blamed on Israel.

In an announcement released on Saturday, prime minister Najib Mikati called for “an end to the horrific massacres”. Because of the escalation, he cancelled his participation in the annual opening of the General Assembly in New York.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army reported Saturday that it has hit “180 targets and thousands of launch platforms” in southern Lebanon. “Over the past few hours, the Israeli air force has hit thousands of missile launch platforms that could be used immediately to attack Israeli territory,” the army said in an announcement.

According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah fired 90 rockets from southern Lebanon on Saturday.

^{Lebanon's prime minister Najib Mikati makes a national statement on the second day of the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow on November 2, 2021 © BELGA PHOTO Daniel LEAL / POOL / AFP}