BEIRUT/BAGHDAD - Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Wednesday that Israel has violated the newly reached ceasefire agreement more than 60 times.
"We have seen, in the last two days, a definite consolidation of the ceasefire, and we hope that it will become permanent stability, although we fear and warn of violations that will take us back to an atmosphere of anxiety," Mikati was quoted as saying by a statement released by his office.
According to the statement, Mikati told a cabinet meeting that "he has noticed from his contacts a serious willingness by countries that participated in reaching the ceasefire to address this issue."
Mikati also called on Lebanese expatriates to contribute to the rebuilding of their country with strong determination, according to the statement.
A ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Nov 27, following a deadly conflict between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel that began on Oct 8, 2023. The confrontation has been regarded as the bloodiest since the last war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006.
Under the agreement, both sides agreed to a 60-day cessation of hostilities, with Israel gradually withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah retreating north of the Litani River.
Despite the truce, tensions remain high as both sides exchange accusations of ceasefire violations, raising concerns about the agreement's durability.
ALSO READ: Israel threatens to escalate attacks if truce with Hezbollah collapses
On Wednesday, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad announced that 4,047 people have been killed and 16,593 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since October of last year.
At a press conference in Beirut, Abiad said that 316 children were killed and 1,456 others injured, while 790 women were killed and 3,357 others injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon.
Abiad also revealed that 67 hospitals were targeted by Israeli strikes, 40 of which were directly hit and seven others forcibly closed.
A source from Lebanese military intelligence, who required anonymity, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the Lebanese army had redeployed to four military sites west of the southern border town of Shebaa, which it abandoned about three months ago.
The source added that with this redeployment, the Lebanese army is now positioned approximately 700 meters from the Israeli sites in the occupied Shebaa Farms.
Iraq's flights to Lebanon resumed
Separately, Iraqi Airways, the national carrier of Iraq, resumed direct flights from Baghdad to the Lebanese capital Beirut, following a ceasefire between the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Wednesday.
The ministry said in a statement that two Iraqi Airways flights were operated on Wednesday: one free of charge to transport approximately 150 Lebanese citizens who had been displaced to Iraq during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and the other a normal flight.
According to the statement, seven flights will be operated weekly between Baghdad and Beirut, with the number of flights gradually increasing based on demand and circumstances.
READ MORE: Airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise
On Sept 27, Iraqi Airways announced the suspension of all flights to and from Beirut until further notice due to the deteriorating security situation in Lebanon.
