Arab Parliament expresses support for Lebanese state

The Arab Parliament, chaired by Emirati Mohammad Ahmad al-Yamahi, expressed its support Monday for President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government during a tour in Beirut as Lebanon recovers from a devastating 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah and seeks to disarm militias on its territory, chiefly the party. President Aoun, for his part, reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as set forth at the Arab League Summit in Beirut in 2002, and called for a unified Arab position on all Arab causes.

Receiving a delegation from the Arab Parliament at the Baabda Presidential Palace, the head of state emphasized that "we [Lebanon] are an integral part of the Arab world and are connected to each other," stating that these nations should "constitute a single body."

The Lebanese president also condemned "Israeli aggression against Lebanon, in violation of the cease-fire agreement concluded last November." Despite the truce that ended more than 13 months of war with Hezbollah, the Israeli army still occupies positions along the border and strikes nearly daily at southern Lebanon and the Bekaa.

Securing withdrawal of Israeli forces

Aoun also denounced "the massacres perpetrated by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, subjected to systematic destruction aimed at forcing its remaining population to flee," referring to the Israeli offensive that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas' Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel.

The Lebanese president further noted, during his visits to Arab countries, the support of their leaders and populations for Lebanon, saying that this "gives further momentum to the reform process we have started since I took office and will continue despite the difficulties."

According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the Emirati president of the Arab Parliament, Mohammad Ahmad al-Yamahi, reiterated the institution’s solidarity with Aoun "in the face of repeated violations committed by the occupying entity against Lebanese territory," and supported the Lebanese president’s efforts "to secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, rebuild Lebanon, and enable the return of residents to their villages." At the end of the meeting, Yamahi indicated that the Arab Parliament sees in Aoun’s policy "a strong will to restore Lebanon’s prestige and strengthen national unity." He also expressed the Parliament’s support for the idea of a common Arab market and for all efforts serving Lebanon.

Salam calls for support for Lebanese Army

The delegation then went to the Grand Serail for talks with Prime Minister Salam. Salam recalled that "the government is determined to implement its decisions to ensure the state's monopoly on arms across all the territory." He added that "Lebanon, having regained its natural place among its Arab brothers, needs to reinforce support for the Lebanese Army, as an essential pillar of the homeland's protection," while noting "the need to pressure Israel to cease its aggression and withdraw from Lebanese territories it continues to occupy."

The delegation, for its part, affirmed "the Arab Parliament’s support for all that strengthens Lebanon’s security and stability," stressing that "the next stage will be a period of prosperity and progress for Lebanon and its people, and that the Arab Parliament is monitoring the government’s efforts since its formation and stands ready to provide whatever is needed to support this stability."