Lebanese Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf declared on Saturday that Lebanon will not wage a war against Israel, “but it will defend its sovereignty.”
“We are completely prepared to defend our land,” he stressed during a meeting with Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit on the margins of the Munich Security Conference.
Tensions have been high between Lebanon and Israel over the former’s intention to explore its offshore oil and gas wealth in an area that is contested with its southern neighbor.
“The whole of Lebanon is united over this cause and it stands behind its army and institutions,” Sarraf continued from Munich.
He stated that Lebanon is attached to its oil wealth, adding: “Lebanon stands by Arab countries and it believes that Arab solidarity is a powerful way to protect our nations and resolve our crises.”
The minister therefore urged for the greatest Arab solidarity against attempts to undermine Lebanon’s rights, saying Israel should be pressured to respect international laws.
For his part, Abul Gheit rejected “any attempts by Israel to create problems and violate Lebanese rights, whether in the offshore exploration file or its intention to construct a wall along its border with Lebanon.”
The latter, he said, is a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 and threatens security and stability in the border region.
