Hezbollah/Israel tension: Gemayel warns against a compromise 'at the expense' of Lebanon

BEIRUT — The leader of the Kataeb, MP Samy Gemayel, warned on Wednesday against any compromise in southern Lebanon that would be "at the expense of Lebanon," at a time when Hezbollah and Israel have been clashing daily since Oct. 8, 2023, following the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation by Hamas against Israel.

This warning comes as caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, have recently shown openness towards negotiations with Israel regarding the land border demarcation and the end of the conflict.

"It is clear that Israel has an interest in protecting its borders and that Hezbollah has an interest in staying alive...Therefore, negotiations could serve these two groups, but we fear that it might happen at the expense of Lebanon," said Gemayel in a statement distributed by the Kataeb party after a meeting with the French Ambassador to Beirut, Hervé Magro.

Last Friday, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah cracked the door to a political settlement with Israel to stabilize the southern border. Barely three days later, Mikati followed suit. In an interview with al-Hurra channel, he assured his support – and even that of Hezbollah – for the "choice of peace" and specified Beirut's conditions to reach an agreement.

This significant opening comes as the American envoy, Amos Hochstein, tasked with defusing the escalation between Lebanon and Israel, is expected in Beirut on Wednesday night.

"Everyone is awaiting the solution between Israel and Hezbollah, while official Lebanon is absent. This situation worries us," Gemayel emphasized. "We must not compromise at the expense of the state's sovereignty. What matters to us is to implement Resolution 1701 to prevent any aggression (against Lebanon) but also Resolution 1559 for the state to take charge of the defense strategy," he added.

Resolution 1701 ended the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel and called for a significant deployment of the Lebanese army in South Lebanon. UN Resolution 1559 calls, among other things, for the disarmament of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias in Lebanon.

"Hezbollah will have to face significant choices. Will it want to continue living apart from the state and the Lebanese people and be in confrontation with them?...or will it want to be an important partner?" questioned the leader of the Kataeb.

He also called for the election of a President of the Republic, as the country has been without a head of state for over a year.