Kataeb flag (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — In a statement published on Tuesday, the Kataeb party announced a set of conditions for accepting any "external initiative that would end the danger facing Lebanon as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region," including that only the Lebanese Army can hold weapons and defend the country.
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire along the Lebanese-Israeli border since Oct. 8, a day after the beginning of the war on Gaza.
International efforts have been made to avoid a major spill-over of the conflict into Lebanon. So far, although steadily escalating, the fighting has remained relatively contained to the border areas.
US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Beirut and Israel several times over the past few months and met with Lebanese and Israeli officials for de-escalation purposes, including, earlier today, with the Israeli Defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
As part of his latest visit to Lebanon this week, Hochstein met with Kataeb president Samy Gemayel and MP Elias Hankash, among other officials.
While "appreciating any external initiative that would remove the imminent danger facing Lebanon as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region and [Israel's bombardment] of new Lebanese regions," the Kataeb party said that "any proposal must have a set of foundations that cannot be ignored."
First, the initiative must be "liberated from any external or internal hegemony," must "possess the decision-making power of war and peace" and its decisions must "emanate from the representatives of the Lebanese people." The initiative should also ensure that only the Lebanese Army can hold weapons and defend the country.
These two conditions can be considered as directly targeting Hezbollah and its allies. With the Amal movement, Hezbollah is still armed and currently fighting along the border, justifying its armament by the lasting occupation by Israel of some areas in southern Lebanon. The Kataeb is among the parties in opposition to Hezbollah.
Furthermore, the Kataeb statement demands that all initiatives ensure that the Lebanese people should be "equal under the law, not divided into first-class and second-class citizens." The last condition is that any initiative should "take into account Lebanon’s pluralism, as stipulated in the introduction to the Constitution."
The party said that it "rejects any proposal that does not take into account these principles" and that it "will confront it with all available means.”