Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil speaking during a press conference at the Beirut Forum, April 9, 2022. (Archive photo pulled from Tayyar.org)
BEIRUT — Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM, Aounist) Gebran Bassil told a Kuwaiti newspaper on Friday that Hezbollah "has lost the power to decide to stop the war" with Israel.
The MP for Batroun told the daily al-Anba that, as he sees it, "it is clear that Hezbollah does not want a big war with Israel," but that it may no longer be up to them.
Asserting his support Hezbollah in its "confrontation with Israeli attacks" — ongoing since Oct. 8 — Bassil said that party's position in the conflict is "good and appreciated, even if Hezbollah has lost the power to decide to stop the war, which is now in the hands of Israel."
Israel has repeatedly threatened the expansion of the war with Hezbollah, while maintaining that it's up to Hezbollah whether the war is broadened.
Back in December, in an oft-repeated quote, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant went to so far as to say: "What we did in Gaza can also be done in Beirut."
Last week, on a tour of northern Israel, Gallant declared that the army would "pursue Hezbollah wherever it operates and increase the pressure and pace of its attacks."
A few days later however, Gallant made a statement in Haifa saying that the government "does not wish for a war in Lebanon" and that "such a war would be a difficult challenge for the State of Israel."
In Friday's interview, Bassil insisted on "the need for a cease-fire in southern Lebanon," as well as on "separating this issue from developments in the war in Gaza."
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has often referred to the border fighting as a "support front" that will be maintained so long as Israel continues its offensive on Gaza. The party's stated goal in fighting northern Israel is to ease the pressure on its ally Hamas, which Hezbollah officials say it will not allow to be defeated.
The leader of the Aounist party says that the FPM stands behind "the Resistance," while at the same time "rejecting Hezbollah's position to take part in the Gaza war, when there is no internal national consensus [in Lebanon]."
Bassil told al-Anba that by entering into the conflict on Oct. 8, Hezbollah broke certain "equations" that were in place, in the interest of Lebanon. He did not clarify further.
Since Oct. 8, 350 people have been killed in Lebanon, the majority (269) Hezbollah members. The Amal Movement has lost 17 members in Israeli strikes and around 50 civilians have also been killed.