Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry receiving CPL leader Gebran Bassil at Ain el-Tineh on May 5, 2026. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — In a rather unusual move given their political differences, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, was received in Ain al-Tineh by Parliament Speaker and head of the Amal Movement, Hezbollah’s ally Nabih Berri.
The two discussed, "the latest developments in Lebanon in light of Israel's continued violations of the cease-fire agreement and its aggression against the South, as well as political developments and the domestic situation," according to remarks reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The leader of the Aounist party called for unity and solidarity in the current circumstances, marked by the renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah and jeopardized by internal instability, against a backdrop of latent sectarian tensions exacerbated by the conflict.
The head of the Aounist movement explained after the meeting that he used the occasion to present his, "proposal to protect Lebanon through dialogue," a three-pronged initiative he has already promoted to other political and religious leaders.
Israel continues to demolish most of the structures in a 600 km² area near the border and inside Lebanese territory, which it has decided to turn into a "buffer zone" despite a cease-fire supposedly in place for several weeks.
"I met today with the speaker to jointly follow up on the proposal to protect Lebanon, because we are not only facing an Israeli war, systematic destruction of the South, and the organized displacement of our southern inhabitants—which is already a major challenge—but we are confronted with a deliberate change that we must face by remaining united," he said.
"But the most dangerous thing," he added, "is that we are experiencing internal instability every day. This should make us all more vigilant and concerned about our national unity. As is well known, an external war is much less dangerous than a civil war. This requires us to stand together in solidarity to prevent it."
"We therefore discussed how to protect Lebanon, preserve our internal unity, and strengthen our domestic front through solidarity between us, and how to translate this concretely. We concluded that the broadest national consultations are the best way to consolidate these ideas and achieve a unified, joint national position," Bassil concluded.
The parliament speaker made no statement after the visit.
