Lebanese president holds Israel responsible for deterioration of conditions in south Lebanon

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Tuesday held Israel responsible for the deterioration of conditions due to the Israeli attacks against civilian targets.

During its Tuesday extraordinary session, the Lebanese Cabinet, chaired by President Lahoud, said that Israel's bellicose line is not new to Lebanon and that Israel has deliberately impeded the latest peace negotiations, in order to put further pressure on Syria and Lebanon despite the two countries' positive attitudes towards the Middle East peace process and their adherence to national principles based on total elimination of the Israeli occupation and recognition of the rights of the Palestinian refugees to return home.

The Lebanese president made it clear that the Israeli attacks will never lead to the creation of a new field equation in favor of Israel, especially with the right of the Lebanese resistance to continue carrying out operations until the occupation ends.

He reiterated Lebanon's adherence to the April Understanding, provided that Israel halts seeking new equations outside of the scope of the agreement.

The Lebanese president briefed members of the Lebanese Cabinet on a Tuesday phone call from Bashar al-Assad (son of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad) in which he referred to Syria's initiative to help Lebanon repair damage that resulted from the Israeli strikes against Lebanon.

The Lebanese president gave his instructions to government ministers and establishments in order to take care of the wounded, immediately start rehabilitating the infrastructure and use funds raised and contributed by the Lebanese and the Arabs, thereby embodying Lebanese solidarity and national unity.