Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea stressed that ‘it is normal for Lebanon to be affected by what is happening in Gaza. Yet, the extent of impact (on our territory), whether direct or indirect, depends on Hezbollah’s actions’ along the country’s southern border.
In an interview with Houna Loubnan, the LF leader stressed the importance of implementing Resolution 1701.
Geagea expressed his dismay at ‘the inability of the non-existent government to assume its responsibilities, and which itself admits this inability by entrusting this task to Hezbollah.’
Concerning the presidential elections, the Meerab leader stated that ‘it is out of the question for the Moumanaa camp (Hezbollah and its allies) to elect a President of the Republic who would work to implement the 1701 and draw the land borders with Israel’ after the delimitation of the maritime borders with the Hebrew state in October 2022. Geagea reiterated ‘his party’s total refusal to accept the arrival in power of a Head of State under the tutelage
of, or even close to, the obstructionist axis’, because ‘we have already seen the results of such an experiment’, alluding to Michel Aoun’s disastrous presidential term. Moreover, Geagea pointed out that ‘all international efforts concerning the presidency of the republic are currently on hold, pending developments in the war in Gaza.’
Commenting on the assassination of Hamas’s number two, Saleh al-Arouri, Geagea recalled that ‘Israel had clearly announced that it would hunt down and kill all the leaders of the Palestinian militia wherever they might be,’ stressing that ‘it is normal that by staying in the southern suburbs of Beirut, he risked his life.’
Regarding Hezbollah’s potential retaliation, as emphasized by its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, Geagea dismissed the assurances, stating, ‘these are empty words repeated 100 times,’ recalling Iran’s modest response to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani on January 3, 2020.
The leader of the LF declared that ‘Iran does not want war on its territory,
but uses the satellite countries (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen) to consolidate its regional and internal power financially.’ Furthermore, he stressed that ‘the actions of the militia group in southern Lebanon do nothing to advance the Palestinian cause, which we have long defended, but are aimed at consolidating its (Hezb’s) power’.
He added: ‘Everyone should cooperate so that the Palestinian people can obtain their rights. It is in our national and regional interest for them to have a state and be able to return to their land.’ — This is Beirut
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon