Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil (L) shakes hands with Father Charbel Trad (R) during Bassil's visit to Baalbek on Nov. 15, 2025. (Credit: FPM on X)
BEIRUT — The head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, said during a visit to the city of Baalbeck in the Bekaa on Saturday that he came to the Bekaa to say that Lebanon is the refuge of the Lebanese people amid the change of regime in Syria, adding that the “Bekaa is not only here to defend itself, but to defend all of Lebanon.”
“We did not come here to outbid the Resistance or deny its martyrs, but to say that we want the state, the Lebanon that is our refuge. We must understand that Syria has changed and has a new system. The Bekaa is not only here to defend itself, but to defend all of Lebanon. When the Bekaa falls, all of Lebanon falls,” he said during a speech delivered at the home of Professor Shawqi Njeim in Douris, a village in the Baalbeck village district.
Hezbollah, FPM’s former ally and a close ally of the Assad regime, has recently added a new reason for keeping its arms and avoiding handing them over to the Lebanese Army amid international pressure: the group’s circles and media have circulated the idea of a potential Syrian attack against Lebanon following the fall of the former Syrian regime at the hands of Islamist rebel groups. However, these claims are speculative, especially since Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said this summer that Syria wants “state-to-state relations with Lebanon.”
During his visit, Bassil also inaugurated an FPM office in Douris. “We came to this area not to open a new office, but a new door in a region known only for its chivalry. We are meeting in the home of a comrade of [former Lebanese Forces leader] Bachir Gemayel, and today some of Bachir’s companions no longer understand the meaning of the 10,452 square kilometers,” he said, referring to Lebanon’s territory. “When they accept that a wall be built within the 10,452 square kilometers, they are no longer Bachir’s companions,” he added. The Lebanese Forces has been a political rival of the FPM for many years.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated on Friday that it had observed a concrete wall erected by the Israeli army extending well north of the internationally recognized U.N.-drawn border between southern Lebanon and Israel, known as the Blue Line, adding that the new barrier encroaches on “more than 4,000 square meters” of Lebanese territory.
“If the FPM remains closed in on itself, it will end. But if it opens up, even if it loses some people, it will be enriched by those outside, and they will be enriched through it. This also applies to the essence of the party’s cause, and to Lebanon, which we refuse to see divided. Whoever discards you here in order to settle for Mount Lebanon alone does not understand what Lebanon is,” he said.
In parallel with Bassil’s visit, Israeli drones have been flying over several areas of Baalbek, including Younin, Nahleh, Douris, Ain Bourday and surrounding villages, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah.
Visit to Saydet Al Maounet monastery
Before his speech at Njeim’s house, Bassil visited Saydet Al Maounet, a monastery that sheltered many people from Baalbeck and Hermel during last year’s war between Hezbollah and Israel. The districts of Baalbeck and Hermel, where Hezbollah wields strong influence, were heavily bombarded during the conflict.
Bassil’s visit comes as Hezbollah and the FPM now appear to be converging on sensitive topics such as the electoral law and the monopoly on weapons, after more than two years of deep disagreements on key issues, including the war with Israel and the presidential election. At a time when Hezbollah rejects any concession regarding its arsenal, Bassil is moving in the same direction, viewing it as a “strong card” that should not be relinquished without something in return from Israel. In the past, Bassil had strongly criticized Hezbollah, particularly for its involvement in the October 2023 war, arguing that its arsenal could no longer serve a deterrent role. But a few months ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections, in which the FPM and Hezbollah may need to ally “to protect [their] interests,” as Bassil previously said, he appears to have softened his tone.
Meeting with the superior general of the Maronite Order
Prior to his visit to the Bekaa, the superior general of the Maronite Order, Father Edmond Rizk, received Bassil at the Our Lady of Louaize Monastery in Zouk Mosbeh. According to the state-run National News Agency, they expressed hope for broad participation by Lebanese citizens in the meetings that the Pope will hold during his visit to Lebanon between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, noting the great attention the Pope gives to Lebanon.
Rizk also discussed with Bassil ways to support students to help them continue their education amid the difficult economic conditions. In that regard, Bassil expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Order in its schools and university, underscoring the importance of the educational and social role it plays despite the challenges faced by the Lebanese people.
