Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, choking with emotion and struggling to hold back his tears, described his people’s distress during the Israeli offensive which has lasted for 27 days. Siniora repeated his demand for a ceasefire and the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon.

During his meeting with other Middle Eastern foreign ministers in Beirut, the PM said, “It is imperative that the Israeli enemy stops its aggressive actions and withdraw immediately …, hand it (territory) over to international forces, exchange prisoners, and reveal land mine maps”. With watering eyes Siniora continued by saying, “The confidence I’m speaking to you with is based on the sorrows of widowed mothers, dead children and the cries of the displaced all the lessons of this setback that has set our country and your country Lebanon decades to the past”

The conflict which started 4 weeks ago has killed about 1,000, mostly civilians, and displaced over a million people. A vote by the US and France on a UN resolution was delayed due to Lebanese opposition demanding that the 10,000 Israeli troops be withdrawn from Lebanese soil. So far, all previous ceasefire texts have excluded that provision, leading many to believe Israel’s intentions are to expand its borders.

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