Lebanon Calls for 48-Hour Ceasefire; Israel Issues Evacuation Order for Border City

Abdullah Bouhabib, Lebanon's Foreign Minister, on Friday urged Israel to declare a 48-hour ceasefire to determine who is responsible for escalating tensions in the region. In an interview with CNN, Bouhabib expressed Lebanon's concern over the potential spread of war in the area. He stated, "We really do not want war. The government does not want war. We are in dialogue with various groups. But it is uncontrollable because everything depends on what is happening in Gaza." A spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, said on Friday that the Lebanese government is responsible for any attacks from Lebanese territory. In response to these remarks, Bouhabib said, "Israel is worsening the situation with its threats." He added, "Let’s ceasefire instead of threatening and see what happens." When asked if the government has control over Hezbollah, he replied, "People here are connected politically and even by blood. Therefore, if the situation in Gaza really worsens, we cannot prevent them from seeking revenge." He continued, "They (Hezbollah) do not want war. But I mean, you cannot control it. Everything again depends on what is happening in Gaza, on the Israeli attack on Gaza." Meanwhile, the Israeli army has issued an evacuation order for the city of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel due to escalating tensions at the Lebanon border. Most of the city's population of 22,000 has already left. The Israeli Ministry of Defense also announced that in response to rocket and missile fire on Thursday towards northern Israel, several sites belonging to the terrorist group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon were targeted. In a separate drone strike, the Israeli army killed a terrorist operative in the northern border area.