Rai urges a diplomatic solution to the war under the 'sole authority of the state'

BEIRUT— On the third day of a ten-day cease-fire in Lebanon, following a month and a half of war between Hezbollah and Israel, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Raï said on Sunday that he hopes the truce will lead to a definitive end to the fighting and the establishment of peace “based on diplomatic negotiations under the sole banner of the state.”

“This war has been imposed and is rejected by the people, by the state, and by every living conscience,” Patriarch Raï reiterated, as he has frequently criticized Hezbollah for drawing the country into a new cycle of violence. The party had fired rockets at Israel on the night of March 1–2, two days after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, in what it described as retaliation for the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

“We pray that God transforms this truce into a definitive end to the war and into a lasting, comprehensive, and just peace founded on serious and impartial dialogue as well as diplomatic negotiations, in the interest of Lebanon and all Lebanese, under the sole banner of the state, guarantor of sovereignty over the entire territory and of the unity of arms,” the religious leader said at the patriarchal seat in Bkerkeh.

On Friday night, President Joseph Aoun addressed the nation, expressing his commitment to negotiations with Israel in order to save the country and shield it from foreign influence, in reference to Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer, which rejects any logic of disarmament and denounces what it sees as alignment by the authorities with “projects against the country’s interests.”

Speaking in the presence of delegations from southern Lebanese communities, including priests, mayors, and mukhtars, as well as representatives of the South Council, the Maronite patriarch addressed residents of the South: “You are at the heart of the Church, at the heart of the nation, at the heart of conscience. Whether displaced or remaining in your villages, you are the bulwark of this country. You are not only victims but witnesses: witnesses of resilience, of faith, and of humanity’s ability to stand tall despite suffering.”

“The way forward is not through violence, but through words; not through force, but through dialogue. Peace is not imposed; it is built. And your resilience today contributes to building this peace. Peace in the South is a condition for peace throughout Lebanon,” he added.

Concluding his address, Patriarch Raï said: “We pray with you for the end of this hateful war and for the establishment of peace through the success of ongoing negotiations.”