Sat Nov 16 01:35:00 IST 2024: ## Lebanon Seeks Iran’s Help to End Israel Conflict Amidst Ongoing Airstrikes

**Beirut, Lebanon – November 15, 2024** – As Israeli airstrikes continue to pummel Lebanon, killing over 3,300 people, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has appealed to Iran for assistance in securing a ceasefire with Hezbollah. This plea comes as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, has been presented to Hezbollah through Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

The proposal, reportedly mirroring the 2006 resolution, would necessitate Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a provision previously unfulfilled. While Hezbollah is reviewing the proposal, Israeli demands for additional guarantees are reportedly complicating matters. The U.S. Embassy has declined comment on the circulating draft.

Mikati’s request to Iranian advisor Ali Larijani, who visited Beirut for talks, also included a call for Iran to promote national unity in Lebanon and refrain from supporting any single faction. Larijani, while affirming Iran’s continued support for Lebanon, denied any attempts to undermine U.S. mediation efforts.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched multiple air raids on Friday, targeting areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Tayouneh neighborhood, claiming to be targeting Hezbollah facilities. A previous strike on a civil defense center in Douris resulted in the deaths of 14 personnel.

The escalating violence in Lebanon coincides with continued Israeli operations in Gaza, where funerals were held Friday for 11 Palestinians killed in recent airstrikes. The UN Security Council is meanwhile considering a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, though the U.S. holds significant influence over its adoption. The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has resulted in over 43,000 deaths in Gaza and over 1,200 in Israel.

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