Bou Habib Urges Algeria to Advocate for Ceasefire in Israeli Attacks.

Beirut: Caretaker Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, on Wednesday met with Algeria's Ambassador to Lebanon, Rachid Belbaki, as part of Lebanon's diplomatic push within the UN Security Council to address ongoing Israeli attacks. According to National news agency - Lebanon, during the meeting, Bou Habib appealed to Algeria, a non-permanent Security Council member and a longstanding ally of Lebanon, to exert "additional pressure within the Council to prevent Israel from endangering or targeting archaeological sites in Baalbek and Tyre amid nearby airstrikes." Bou Habib reiterated Lebanon's commitment to "implementing Security Council Resolution 1701 in a balanced manner," and emphasized Lebanon's readiness to strengthen the Lebanese Army's deployment south of the Litani River, thereby extending state authority in the region. The discussion also covered bilateral relations, with a focus on expanding cooperation across various sectors. Ambassador Belbaki presented Bou Habib with a list of 26 Lebanese student s who had been accepted into Algerian universities for the 2024-2025 academic year, notably in medical fields, as part of scholarships Algeria provided to Lebanon. The Foreign Minister expressed gratitude, calling the scholarship initiative "a testament to the deep brotherhood and friendship between the Lebanese and Algerian peoples" and acknowledging Algeria's numerous supportive gestures toward Lebanon.