Druze leader Walid Joublatt. (Archive photo from NNA)
BEIRUT — Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, former head of the Progressive Socialist Party, said that the war in Gaza "is only just beginning," as are its repercussions, particularly in southern Lebanon, and said hoped that the mediation efforts of House Speaker Nabih Berri and US envoy Amos Hochstein would be successful.
Speaking on Tuesday evening during a trip to Qatar, Joumblatt said that Berri was making "major efforts to try to separate the Gaza and Lebanon issues, in order to avoid further destruction, devastation, displacement and assassination in South Lebanon.”
Since it opened the southern front in support of its ally in Gaza, Hezbollah has stated that it would not cease fighting until Israel ceases its onslaught on Gaza, where it says it will fight until Hamas is dismantled — which Hezbollah, in turn, has warned it will not allow.
Cross-border fighting has killed 414 people in Lebanon since Oct. 8, the majority of which are Hezbollah fighters. The tally also includes over 60 civilians and around 20 medics.
Speaking from the Lebanese Embassy in Doha, Joumblatt warned that, in his opinion, "the war is still in its early stages and will continue until the end of the year, perhaps beyond, and even after the American elections," which are scheduled for Nov. 5.
He said that the heads of state, whether the American president or otherwise, "don't care about Palestine and South Lebanon."
"We must therefore show solidarity and unity," he said, hoping that "the efforts of Nabih Berri and emissary Amos Hochstein will be as successful as possible.”
Hochstein has developed a plan to alleviate tensions between Lebanon and Israel, which includes the demarcation of the land border. Notably, the contentious Shebaa Farms area, disputed between Lebanon and Syria, and occupied by Israel, is not included in the plan.
The proposal involves a three-phase implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In the first stage, both Hezbollah and Israel are to return to the pre-Oct. 7 status quo, with Hezbollah maintaining a low profile from the area south of the Litani River, rather than withdrawing as mandated by the UN, while Tel Aviv would be allowed to continue limited reconnaissance flights.