Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Sept. 13, 2024. (Credit: Geagea's X account)
BEIRUT — The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, said in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Thursday that he believes a solution to the clashes in southern Lebanon will materialize in weeks or months.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in almost daily clashes along the Lebanese-Israeli border since October amid the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza,
Geagea also reiterated his support for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, a resolution that was reached between Israel and Lebanon in 2006 after the July war, which gave explicit power to UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army on what is known as the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel.
Geagea also said that Iran has not yet retaliated following the assassination of Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh "for fear of repercussions," adding that Iran's policy lies on avoiding any harm to itself and that it uses "its tools in the region in a way that only strengthens its position."
On July 31, Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran hours after Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur was killed by an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Although Hezbollah said that it targeted a base near Tel Aviv in response to the killing of Shukur, Iran has not yet retaliated to the killing of Haniyeh.
"Iran seeks to strengthen its regional status and position in the region and is therefore not concerned with the interests, economy, or well-being of the Lebanese people," Geagea said.
Although Geagea believes that regional escalation is possible, he ruled out that the situation in southern Lebanon would continue for another year.
"We will witness a solution to south Lebanon in weeks or months and the comprehensive solution will start from the Mediterranean Sea and reach Iran ... intersecting with the U.S. presidential elections."
He also called on the Lebanese government to ask Hezbollah to "withdraw from the south and deploy the army to defend the border." However, he said that the issue lies in the fact that the majority of the Lebanese government supports the party.
Geagea also commented on the arrest of former Central Bank governor Riad Salameh: "I believe that things will materialize in the coming weeks, although we do not have much confidence in those who are currently in positions of responsibility, so we have to wait. If the investigation takes its proper course with Salameh, all the secrets of the past stage will be revealed, and then things will not remain limited to him, as he will reveal everything and will talk about everything he did to satisfy the political class."
Regarding the Syrian refugees crisis, Geagea said that "no one wants to take responsibility, and all officials avoid making decisions that could have repercussions."