BEIRUT, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop the offensive against the Gaza Strip, his ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
He made the remarks at an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday. At the meeting, Bou Habib said Lebanon does not want war and called for finding a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict on the basis of establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Bou Habib expressed Lebanon's firm solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and urged international efforts to guarantee the successful delivery of humanitarian aid to people in the besieged enclave.
He accused Israel of launching a "blatant attack" on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, warning it could destabilize the entire region and beyond.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched on Saturday a surprise attack on southern Israeli towns adjacent to Gaza, prompting Israel to launch retaliatory strikes on the enclave. The exchanges of fire have lasted for six days and left heavy casualties on both sides. ■
