Maronite Church leader Bechara Rai during his Sunday homily, March 5, 2023. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — In his homily on Sunday, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai hoped that the 60-day cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel becomes a lasting peace.
A cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by France and the U.S., took effect on Wednesday following more than 13 months of fighting.
Rai also "thanked all those who worked in Lebanon and internationally for this cease-fire."
"We congratulate the residents of the suburbs of Beirut, Sour, the South, Baalbek and others who immediately returned to their homes and areas, with great sorrow in their hearts for those in their families who were killed", he added.
Rai also thanked "all those who welcomed them in their areas and facilitated their stay." More than 1.2 million people have been displaced as a result of the Israeli attacks.
"We express our gratitude to brotherly and friendly countries, for their solidarity and sending the necessary aid, to charitable institutions that dedicated themselves to the service of the displaced people, to the Lebanese Army which sacrificed some of its members, to the Civil Defense for its efforts ... and to the media, some of whose members sacrificed their lives during their service," Rai added.
He finally hoped that Lebanon and Israel would be able to implement the 13 points included in the cease-fire agreement and that both countries would be able to live in peace in accordance with the 1949 armistice.
The 1949 armistice is a text signed between Israel and Lebanon after the first Arab-Israeli war, following the proclamation of Israel in May 1948. It stipulates that "the demarcation line behind which the respective armies of each country shall withdraw shall follow the international border between Lebanon and Palestine," in reference to the route negotiated between Paris and London in 1923, known as the Paulet-Newcombe agreement. Both countries are supposed to limit themselves to a small military presence in the border region.