'Yes, to normalizing relationship with Israel,' says MP Baarini

Sunni MP Walid Baarini declared on Wednesday in favor of normalization with Israel. "Normalization is not resolved through overbidding and arrogance. Yes to normalization if it protects us from aggression, yes to normalization if it allows us to recover our territory and ensures it is not occupied, yes to normalization if it brings Lebanon the peace and prosperity it has lacked for years. Yes to normalization and no to opposing Arab currents, particularly the one led by Saudi Arabia," he emphasized on X.

The remarks from a member of the National Moderation Bloc, composed mainly of Sunni ex-Hariri MPs close to Saudi Arabia, appear to be a response to the head of the Hezbollah parliamentary group, MP Mohammad Raad. On March 28, during the International Jerusalem Day, Raad condemned "the false pretexts of the enemy" and expressed the "commitment of the resistance to countering its policies and attempts to drag Lebanon towards normalization."

The Israeli military has committed "over 1,500 violations" of the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel since it was established on November 27, 2024, according to Lebanese authorities, resulting in 127 deaths, more than half of which were civilians. The most recent violation occurred on Tuesday when Israel bombed a residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut at dawn. The strike, which killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Hassan Ali Bdeir, resulted in a total of four deaths and seven injuries.