BEIRUT: Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has demanded an end to 鈥淚sraeli provocations鈥� on the southern border.

Lebanon is 鈥渋n the eye of the storm鈥� amid the tensions in the region, he told Sky News on Monday.

鈥淚f Lebanon enters the war, the whole region will be in a state of chaos, not just our country,鈥� he said, adding that 鈥渆fforts are ongoing to spare Lebanon from war.鈥�

Mikati also told Sky News that the decision to go to war 鈥渋s up to Israel if it continues to violate the Lebanese southern borders.鈥�

He said that the Lebanese state was cooperating with international organizations to develop a plan in the event of war.

Mikati visited Qatar on Sunday, meeting Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The two sides discussed 鈥渢he latest developments in the Palestinian territories and the region,鈥� according to a statement issued after the meeting.

In a phone call with Australian Foreign Minister Penelope Wong, Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said that 鈥淚sraeli threats to attack and destroy Lebanon are of no use.鈥�

Military operations along Lebanon鈥檚 southern border have taken place since the early morning, including sporadic artillery shelling and airstrikes.

Israeli forces had fired flares and incendiary shells over southern villages adjacent to the Blue Line, resulting in forest fires.

The Israeli army on Monday also targeted the perimeter of the Al-Raheb Israeli outpost 鈥� at the border with the Aayta Al-Shaab village 鈥� with 12 missiles, including phosphorus missiles.

A missile fell in an empty region located between the villages of Aynata and Kunin for the first time since the start of military operations in southern Lebanon, which began simultaneously with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

According to a military observer, the two villages remain within UNIFIL鈥檚 operational region.

The Israeli attack reached 5 km inside the Lebanese border, said the observer.

Israeli jets raided the outskirts of the Yater village, as well as the Aayta Al-Shaab village, targeting an empty house and the perimeter of the Shebaa Farms. Israeli artillery also targeted the Al-Labbouneh region, located in Naqoura, with dozens of artillery shells and flares, causing fires.

Maj. Gen. Raymond Khattar, director general of the Lebanese Civil Defense, said on Monday that 鈥渢he fire danger index is high today and distinguishing fires is hard amid the ongoing bombardment and the presence of mines and cluster bombs.鈥�

He added: 鈥淲e are coordinating with the UNIFIL forces so they can intervene to avoid endangering our members.鈥�

The Lebanese army announced on Monday that 鈥�21 missile platforms with an unlaunched rocket were found in Wadi Al-Khansaa and Al-Khraybeh 鈥� Hasbaya district 鈥� and in Al-Qlaileh 鈥� Tyre district,鈥� adding that 鈥渢hey were dismantled by the competent units.鈥�

The military observer told Arab News: 鈥淭he bombing of the UNIFIL spots during the past weekend is Israel鈥檚 way of expressing its dissatisfaction with the UN.鈥�

The observer said that the UNIFIL leadership was facing difficulty in communicating with the Israeli side amid claims by the latter that the peacekeeping force was 鈥渘ot fulfilling its duties consisting of preventing illegal weapons in its operational region.鈥�

In other news, a Hezbollah member was killed during military operations carried out by the party on the southern front on Monday.

Although operations carried out by Palestinian factions in southern Lebanon against Israeli forces have subsided, a Lebanese military group called 鈥淔ajr Al-Jouroud鈥� has emerged in recent days.

The group identifies itself as the military wing of the Jamaa Islamiya group and announced on Sunday it had 鈥渢argeted many outposts of the Israeli enemy in the Kiryat Shmona settlement and its surroundings.鈥�

The military observer said: 鈥淭he operations of this group are carried out in full coordination with Hezbollah, as it doesn鈥檛 own the type of weapons used in its operations.鈥�

He added: 鈥淭he presence of the group is beneficial for Hezbollah in the Sunni border regions opposing the party, as the Islamic group is a political movement that has become one of Hezbollah鈥檚 allies after being against it in the past.鈥�

The group organized a mass demonstration last Sunday, in coordination with Hamas, in downtown Beirut.

Buses carrying demonstrators 鈥� including Palestinian refugees and Lebanese 鈥� from Tripoli, Bekaa and Saida, were decorated with the Palestinian flag and the Hezbollah and Hamas banners. Members of Hezbollah鈥檚 Islamic Health Organization accompanied the demonstrators.

Hezbollah also announced that its chief, Hassan Nasrallah, will deliver a speech next Friday during a ceremony honoring fighters who died during operations.

It will be Nasrallah鈥檚 first public appearance since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was launched.

Pending Nasrallah鈥檚 statements, which Lebanese fear will be incendiary, Hezbollah Executive Council deputy head, Sheikh Ali Damoush, said that the party 鈥渋s fully prepared and ready to face all the options and developments accurately, wisely and with the highest degree of national responsibility.鈥�

Damoush added that 鈥淗ezbollah鈥檚 vision considers the requirements of conflict with the enemy, the interest of the resistance, national interest and people鈥檚 interests,鈥� adding that 鈥渁ll our stances and actions are taken accordingly.鈥�

In a joint meeting held on Monday, the Saydet Al-Jabal Gathering and the National Council to End Iranian Occupation in Lebanon鈥漴ecalled 鈥淩esolution 1701, which cost Lebanon 2,500 martyrs and billions of dollars in losses.鈥�

They feared the international resolution, which aimed to bring an end to the 2006 war, was 鈥渂eing jeopardized today by an external decision,鈥� accusing 鈥淚ran and its militias of using Lebanon and its people as ammunition to fuel the Iranian project in the region.鈥�