
The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, welcoming the Swedish ambassador to Beirut, Jessica Svardstrom. (Credit: Photo from the LF website)
The leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF), Samir Geagea, declared on Wednesday that he rejects "any compromise or arrangement concerning the illegal weapons" of Hezbollah, as the cease-fire between Israel and the Shiite group takes effect.
In a statement, Geagea accused Hezbollah of pursuing "a false strategy that plunged the country into a devastating war," resulting in 3,400 deaths, 14,000 injuries, and damage to nearly 100,000 homes, costing over $8.5 billion, according to the World Bank (WB), in 13 months of conflict.
The Christian leader met on Wednesday with Sweden’s new ambassador to Beirut, Jessica Svardstrom, at the party’s headquarters in Meerab. According to a statement on the LF’s website, they discussed recent political and security developments, as well as the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon.
A staunch opponent of Hezbollah, Geagea assured the ambassador that there would be no “return to the situation before Oct. 7, 2023,” referring to the onset of the Gaza war triggered by a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel. The next day, Hezbollah engaged in a "support front" for Gaza, invoking the principle of the "unity of fronts" against Israel.
Syrian Refugee Crisis
Regarding the Syrian refugee issue, Geagea, alongside Swedish Deputy Head of Mission Christian Nelson, former MP Eddy Abillama (a member of the LF Executive Committee), and former minister Richard Kouyoumjian (head of the LF’s external relations), delivered a message for Stockholm. This message, addressed to international donors assisting Syrian refugees in Lebanon—including Sweden—urged them to "stop supporting displaced Syrians in Lebanon and redirect aid directly to Syria to encourage their return."
Lebanon, with a population of about 4.5 million, claims to host nearly 1.5 million Syrian refugees since the onset of Syria’s civil war in 2011, the highest per capita ratio worldwide.
“The presence of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is primarily driven by economic and material reasons. Only a very small proportion, not exceeding a few hundred, can be considered political refugees,” explained Geagea. Since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into open war in late September, "around half a million Syrians have voluntarily returned to their country, proving that no major obstacles exist for their return," he added.