Lebanese Prime Minister asks United Nations to help seek permanent truce with Israel

FROM LEFT: Kuwait Foreign Minister Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres attend an international conference on the future of Syria and the region, in Brussels, Belgium, April 5. [Reuters] 

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri asked the United Nations Friday to help Lebanon and Israel move towards a permanent ceasefire and end what he called Israel's "continuous violations" of Lebanese territory.

Israel and Lebanon's Shi'ite Hezbollah group fought a month-long war in 2006 that concluded with a cessation of hostilities but without a formal peace deal.

"I urge the UN secretary general to support efforts to secure, as soon as possible, a state of permanent ceasefire. This is long overdue," Hariri said.