The MP of Baalbeck-Hermel, Ghazi Zeaiter. (Credit: NNA)
Baalbeck-Hermel MP Ghazi Zeaiter called on Friday for the state to protect Lebanese present in Syria and those living in border villages exposed to cross-border violence that erupted late last week between Lebanese clans, including the Zeaiter family, and the new Syrian security forces.
The comments by the MP, a member of the Amal Movement, were made during a press conference in Baalbeck following the death of his nephew, Khodr Karam Zeaiter, who was kidnapped from his home in one of the border villages on Syrian territory before being killed by Syrian forces.
'Terrorist groups'
“Khodr Karam Zeaiter, like the other martyrs who fell in these clashes, was killed by armed terrorist groups,” he said, adding, “He was kidnapped from his home, even though he was not involved in any activity. He lived in his family's house, inherited for decades. During his captivity, we received promises of his release within a few days during contacts made with parties presenting themselves as responsible in the region.”
Three other people, members of the Jaafar family, were also killed, while more than a dozen were injured and hospitalized.
The MP also called this operation conducted against villages long populated by Lebanese families a “massacre,” while Damascus reports intervening against “smugglers” accused of being linked to all kinds of trafficking activities, including “weapons and drugs,” and being “affiliated with Hezbollah.”
Zeaiter said that he had been mandated by the inhabitants of the border areas to convey their concerns to the parliamentary speaker and leader of the Amal Movement, Nabih Berri, so that this issue could be brought to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and discussed with the Syrian authorities.
'Violation of Lebanese sovereignty'
During his speech, Zeaiter said that more than 20 Syrian villages have housed Lebanese people for over 130 years.
“Different communities (Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians) coexist there without tensions,” he said, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
He also rejected the argument of border control as a justification for the violence, stating that “massacres, house demolitions, and kidnappings” are committed under this pretext, before emphasizing that the Lebanese army has the responsibility to secure the border and that “neither Amal nor Hezbollah cover the smugglers.”
Zeaiter then warned against a “forced displacement” and a “continuing crime” against the Lebanese residents of these villages located straddling Syrian and Lebanese territories and called on the Syrian authorities to assume their role.
“Certain Lebanese villages have been bombarded by armed groups affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. This is an unacceptable violation of Lebanese sovereignty. It is the state's duty to defend lands belonging to Lebanese in Syria,” he said.
The MP stressed the importance of maintaining historical relations between Lebanese and Syrian tribes and families, rejecting any attempt at sectarian division. He also denounced foreign influences seeking to inflame tensions and warned against international agendas aimed at displacing local populations.
Zeaiter said that Israeli occupation poses a threat to the region, particularly in Syria, where Israel seeks to expand. He also reaffirmed his commitment to the protection of populations and territories, advocating for cooperation between Lebanon and Syria to ensure the stability and security of Lebanese in border areas.