BEIRUT/CAIRO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon said Wednesday it has filed an urgent complaint to the UN over Israeli airstrikes on April 8 across the country.
The move was based on a cabinet decision issued Thursday, requesting that the complaint also be circulated as an official document of both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, said the Lebanese foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Wednesday in a statement that a routine convoy transporting military and civilian peacekeepers, along with contractors, was halted by Israeli forces near the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura on Tuesday.
UNIFIL said the incident was not isolated, calling on the Israeli side to respect existing arrangements and fulfill its obligations to ensure the safety, security, and freedom of movement of UN peacekeepers and their logistical convoys.
Also on Wednesday, Al Jazeera, citing Israeli sources, reported that Israel has rejected Washington's request for a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
It said Israel has attributed the rejection to Hezbollah's continued firing.
However, Al Jazeera reported minutes later that the Israeli Security Cabinet will discuss the request Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Reuters, citing a senior Israeli official, said the Israeli Security Cabinet will convene Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon.
Reuters, citing Lebanese officials, also reported that the ceasefire duration in Lebanon is likely linked to the U.S.-Iran truce.
Cross-border fighting has continued along the Lebanon-Israel border since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire agreed on Nov. 27, 2024, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon that have so far killed 2,167 people and injured 7,061 others.
On April 8, Israel carried out its largest single-day attack on Lebanon, which Lebanese authorities said killed more than 350 and injured over 1,100.
On Tuesday, Israel and Lebanon held talks in Washington, where they laid out different expectations on a peace deal, according to a U.S. State Department statement. Israel insisted on Hezbollah's disarmament, while Lebanon called for a ceasefire and measures to ease the humanitarian crisis. All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a future time.■
