![Search and rescue operations continue in the area after an Israeli air strike during the night around the Rafic Hariri State Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon on October 22, 2024 [Murat Şengül/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AA-20241022-35984993-35984991-ISRAEL_LAUNCHES_AIRSTRIKES_SOUTH_OF_BEIRUT-scaled-e1729699960559.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Thirteen hospitals in Lebanon are now out of service due to the Israeli occupation’s air attacks, Assabeel reported the office of caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, announced yesterday.
In a press conference, Mikati added that the Lebanese government continues to support the US and French initiative for a 21-day ceasefire.
UN Resolution 1701, in its current form, remains the cornerstone for stability and security in southern Lebanon, Mikati explained. The resolution calls for the Lebanese army to take up position south of the Litani River to ensure no resistance factions operate in the area and to protect the country against Israeli attacks.
The prime minister also noted that the Lebanese army has begun recruitment but is in need of financial support and international training, asserting that Lebanon could deploy an additional 8,000 soldiers in the south as part of the ceasefire arrangements.