Lebanese Forces Leader Samir Geagea. (Credit: LF)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Wednesday the decision taken the day before by the caretaker government to allocate funds to the families of victims and for people displaced by the war between Hezbollah and Israel, ongoing for more than seven months along the southern border. Geagea alleged that the decision was unilaterally taken by Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved the Council for the South's request for LL 93 billion in aid for those effected by the fighting in southern Lebanon.
Geagea's concerns centered around the approval process for engaging in war, as he questioned, in a statement, whether "the majority of the Lebanese people, represented through their parliamentary or governmental bodies, had indeed approved the decision."
His remarks come amid ongoing military operations in the South, initiated by Hezbollah as a "support front" for its ally Hamas in Gaza, resulting in "daily suffering for residents and the destruction of villages."
Expressing dismay over what he perceived as a disconnect between governmental actions and public sentiment, Geagea emphasized that the decision to allocate LL 93 billion for aid to those affected by the military events in the South contradicted the government's earlier claims of non-involvement in the military operations. He asserted that this decision failed to align with "the desires of the majority of the Lebanese people."
Geagea argued that redirecting the allocated funds toward healthcare would save numerous lives, rather than being spent on what he termed a "futile war."
"The government is called upon to review this decision," Geagea insisted, "because it is not entitled to dispose of the money of the Lebanese people contrary to their will and contrary to the mandate given to it by the Lebanese people through their deputies in Parliament."
Geagea's party and other parties have criticized Hezbollah's involvement with Israel in southern Lebanon as well as the government's handling of the involvement.