Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar speaking at the launch of the “Engaging Local Authorities in Child-Sensitive Governance” initiative in partnership with UNICEF, said on Wednesday that the ongoing Israeli assaults on Lebanon, which have killed numerous children and left others orphaned, require “greater cohesion and unity behind the government’s decisions.”

Al-Hajjar called for rallying around the Lebanese Army and security forces, granting them full confidence and unconditional support to extend state authority across all Lebanese territory, enforce the rule of law, and “strip the enemy of pretexts that enable it to continue its aggression.”

Al-Hajjar also stressed that “Lebanon’s protection lies solely in its army and the unity of its people, and its only refuge is the state.”