In an interview with Lebanese TV channel Al Jadeed News, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib stated that Beirut received assurances from third countries that Israel's retaliatory strike would be limited in scope. He noted that Hezbollah's actions would also be restrained if this were the case.
When asked by the TV host to name the countries that provided these assurances, Bou Habib did not respond directly but mentioned that "the US and France are extremely concerned about the current situation."
In another interview with CNN, Bou Habib said that if Israel initiates an operation in Lebanon as a retaliatory measure, the entire region will be drawn into the conflict.
"This will not be Hezbollah versus Israel... The Houthis, Iraqi militias, and fighters in Syria who are not Syrian citizens—Pakistanis and Afghans—will all join in," Bou Habib stated.
According to the Lebanese Foreign Minister, the Lebanese government will support Hezbollah in the confrontation.
Abdallah Bou Habib warned that the war would cause damage not only to Lebanon but also to Israel. "Israel will also be sent back to the Stone Age, and not because of the Lebanese government," he said, referencing a statement made by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant in June 2023 that Israeli forces could send Lebanon "back to the Stone Age."
