Geagea calls for cease-fire, implementation of 1701, presidential elections

The leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF), Samir Geagea, called on Saturday for a cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel, the swift election of a president, and the implementation of U.N. resolutions concerning Lebanon, particularly Resolution 1701. Geagea spoke following an LF meeting in Maarab aimed at establishing a "rescue plan" for the country.

“It is essential to establish a working plan in response to the situation facing the Lebanese... We first need a cease-fire,” the LF leader said, comparing the country to a “sinking ship.” He added, “We must reclaim the state after its collapse, caused by the dominance of weapons and foreign forces over decisions related to war, as well as the use of Lebanese people as human shields.”

Geagea also called for the election of “a president who respects the Constitution and is committed to implementing Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701, as well as the Taif Agreement, ensuring that strategic decisions are solely in the hands of the state.” He further demanded that “all authority be given to the army, and that weapons possession outside the state be banned,” a clear reference to Hezbollah’s military arsenal.

U.N. Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, mandates the withdrawal of the Shiite party from areas south of the Litani River. Resolution 1559 (2004) calls for the disarmament of "Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias," while Resolution 1680 (adopted in 2006) concerns the delineation of the land border between Lebanon and Syria.

Geagea pour un président qui appliquerait la 1701 et la 1559