The Jaafarite mufti Ahmad Qabalan, close to Hezbollah. (Credit: National News Agency)
The Jaafarite mufti Ahmad Qabalan, close to Hezbollah, warned on Monday of the risk of Lebanon igniting, saying that only a "retreat by those in power" or preventing them from "leading the country to its downfall" could avoid an explosion of the situation in the country.
"Nothing can prevent an explosion in Lebanon or the flare-up of its major crises except a retreat by those in power or stopping them from leading the country to its downfall," the mufti said in a statement on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the outbreak of the civil war (1975-1990) on April 13, 1975, as Lebanon is once again embroiled in a war that has already claimed more than 2,000 lives since March 2, the date the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah resumed.
He also stated that in case of a major crisis, "it is this camp that must lose, not Lebanon," emphasizing that the confrontation is "political and not sectarian." "Lebanon is Lebanon, not America or Israel; its national policy must reflect that," he continued, rejecting any alignment with Washington or Tel Aviv.
In this context, he denounced efforts that he says aim to weaken those "who liberated Lebanon and defeated Israel," referring to the pro-Iranian group, saying that sacrificing decades of "sovereign struggle" would endanger "the country's sovereignty, its social unity and its internal stability."
Rajji: 'Only state holds authority to negotiate on behalf of Lebanon'
These statements come as Lebanon and Israel are set to begin direct negotiations in Washington on Tuesday to end the war. Foreign Minister Joe Rajji stated that these discussions "establish the separation of the Lebanese file from the Iranian one."
In a message posted on X, he specified that, through these direct negotiations with Israel, Lebanon is seeking to achieve a cease-fire, emphasizing that this process "in fact establishes the separation between the Lebanese file and the Iranian file," as the two-week cease-fire reached between Tehran and Washington last Wednesday does not apply to Lebanon, according to Tel Aviv.
He also stressed that only the Lebanese state holds the authority to negotiate on behalf of the country, in "a clear message reaffirming the principle of national sovereignty."
On Saturday, tensions in Lebanon remained contained even as fears of internal escalation rose over the authorities' decision to negotiate with Israel. A demonstration by several hundred Hezbollah supporters in front of the Grand Serail in Beirut took place peacefully, with the party-militia distancing itself from the event.
Qabalan: Government 'crosses red lines that could blow up country'
In his statement, Qabalan further argued that those who govern today are "the product of the new American mandate" and "live under the weight of their commitments ... in contradiction with national interests." He accused them of acting "disorderly" and of crossing "the most dangerous red lines that could blow up the country," placing Lebanon "at the heart of a complex web of the worst causes of civil war."
According to him, if this camp persists in opposing national interests and maintains what he describes as "dependence" on Washington, "which defends the interests of Tel Aviv," it will lead the country into an "unprecedented civil war."
He further claims that "any national catastrophe" will be the responsibility of this camp, which he accuses of wanting to "deprive Lebanon of the means to guarantee its interests as a sovereign state, to hinder the role of the army, and to turn the country into a battleground serving foreign interests."
