Geagea attacks Hezbollah: Dragging Lebanon into an “absurd war” that did not benefit Gaza

3rd September 2024

3 minutes read

Geagea attacks Hezbollah: Dragging Lebanon into an "absurd war" that did not benefit Gaza

The leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, launched a scathing attack on Hezbollah on Sunday, accusing it of “confiscating the decisions of the Lebanese people” and dragging the country into an “absurd war with no prospect,” referring to the ongoing exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel in the south for about 11 months.

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In a speech during a party celebration at his residence north of Beirut, Geagea said that “the axis of resistance is dragging Lebanon into an absurd war with no prospect. It is a war that the Lebanese people reject and that has been forcibly imposed on them. It has nothing to do with their causes or interests, and only serves external projects and agendas.”

Amid the chants of his supporters against Hezbollah, Geagea added: “This war that Hezbollah has engaged in must stop before it turns into a large-scale war that leaves nothing behind. This war does not serve Lebanon, it did not benefit Gaza, and it did not alleviate its suffering or pain by an inch.”

He asked indignantly: “How does Hezbollah allow itself to take the Lebanese people where they do not want to go, only where it wants to go, serving its own agenda and connections? Who gave Hezbollah the authority and mandate to confiscate the decisions and freedom of the Lebanese people, monopolizing decisions of war and peace as if there is no state, no government, no authority, no institutions, no partners in the country, and not even a people?”

Geagea emphasized that “if Hezbollah insists on continuing the war and fleeing forward, it will have to bear the consequences and responsibility alone before God, the nation, the people, and history.”

He called on the Lebanese government, “which is the rightful authority in charge, to urge Hezbollah to stop this senseless war that has no justification or future. It is better for Hezbollah to act late than never, for what we have lost so far is little compared to what we may lose later.”

Last weekend, a large-scale confrontation occurred between Hezbollah and Israel, with Hezbollah announcing it had fired more than 300 Katyusha rockets and dozens of drones at Israeli targets in response to the killing of senior military commander Fouad Shokr in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on July 30.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire at the Lebanese-Israeli border since the Gaza war broke out on October 7.

The Lebanese Forces leader affirmed that “no one in Lebanon, no matter how powerful, should think they can change Lebanon’s identity, alter its characteristics and balances, falsify its history, and take it somewhere unfamiliar. Lebanon has always been and will remain a land of freedom, dignity, civilization, and diversity, committed to Arab causes and international agreements. It will remain free, sovereign, and independent, and no missiles or drones will overpower it.”

He added: “If some believe that at the end of this war, no matter its outcome, the international and Arab communities will negotiate Lebanon’s future with the axis of resistance because they are heavily armed, they are mistaken. No one will accept a return to the pre-war situation where the state had no control and was disintegrating.”

Addressing those who say the Lebanese Forces are now few in number, Geagea responded: “Few in number, but mighty in action, productivity, and public service. We shine in education, medicine, culture, art, and the economy. We stand firm in clarity, resolve, and dedication in the fight for Lebanon, all of Lebanon.”

Regarding the presidential vacancy, Geagea stressed that “electing a president is an urgent priority, and the road to Baabda Palace does not pass through Haret Hreik, but only through the Parliament, via the ballot box.”

He also emphasized that his party “will not accept, under any circumstances, for one Lebanese faction to impose its stance and candidate on all others, to take control of the presidency while continuing the obstruction and falsification.”

He warned: “If anyone wants to amend the constitution, we have no objection. But first, let’s elect a president according to the current constitution, and then we will be ready, even inviting a genuine national dialogue in Baabda on one subject: What Lebanon do we want?”

He reiterated his call to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to convene, in accordance with the constitution, an open election session with successive rounds until a president is elected.