Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati told a senior United Nations official that his country was ready for talks on long-term stability on its southern border with Israel, Reuters reports.

Mikati’s office said in a statement he met UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix in Beirut to reiterate “Lebanon’s readiness to enter negotiations to achieve a long-term process of stability in southern Lebanon” along the border with Israel.

“We seek permanent stability and call for a lasting peaceful solution - but in return we receive warnings through international envoys about a war on Lebanon,” Mikati said. “The position I repeat to these delegates is: Do you support the idea of destruction? Is what is happening in Gaza acceptable?”

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has been trading fire with the Israeli military across Lebanon’s southern border since Hamas attacked Israel from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Oct 7.

Israel has said it is giving a chance for diplomacy to prevent Hezbollah firing on people living in its north and to push Hezbollah back from the border, warning that the Israeli army will otherwise take action to achieve these aims.