Gebran Bassil: Occupied Shebaa Farms are Lebanese land
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Bassil wished Syria "peace and freedom, and that what is happening there will be positively reflected in Lebanon," adding that "gifts should not be given to the new regime in Syria."
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Gebran Bassil gestures as he speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Beirut on October 17, 2022. (AP)
The Lebanese Free Patriotic Movement head MP Gebran Bassil has stressed that the occupied Shebaa Farms are Lebanese land and are "not for bargaining or sale."
After the meeting of the movement's political body, Bassil wished Syria "peace and freedom, and that what is happening there will be positively reflected in Lebanon," adding that "gifts should not be given to the new regime in Syria, but rather our role is to obtain our rights from it."
Bassil wrote on X that this is a "sovereign matter" and he must demand the Syrian state and new regime "recognize this and resolve the issue," emphasizing that he was the only one who wrote to the Syrian state demanding this. "This is something we must agree on: There is no Lebanese land for bargaining or buying and selling.
Bassil called on the Israeli occupation to commit to a ceasefire and implement Resolution 1701, asking: "Should Lebanon lose its sovereignty while Israel is carrying out attacks?"
Bassil stressed the necessity of preserving Lebanese sovereignty, and that "we do not want to return to war, but we reject humiliation and attacks on our sovereignty."
Regarding the presidential election issue, he stated that "The elected president will result from an understanding between the political forces, and Lebanon should not have a president who is not acceptable to everyone."
Lebanese Army ready to fulfill its duties in South: Mikati
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati emphasized on Monday that "the Lebanese Army has never shirked its duties," noting that "Lebanon is facing a difficult test, and the army will prove its ability to carry out all the tasks required of it."
In a speech delivered at the army barracks in Marjayoun during his southern tour today, Mikati stated, "We will hold a meeting with the committee overseeing the ceasefire, and we have many tasks ahead, the most important being the enemy’s withdrawal from all the territories it infiltrated during its recent aggression. At that point, the army will carry out its full duties."
He added, "The army has always proven that it represents the unity of this country and fulfills its duties. All Lebanese are with the army and support it."
In this context, MP Ali Fayyad, from the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc in the Lebanese Parliament, confirmed earlier to Al Mayadeen that the current situation calls for caution, and that the Resistance will not be drawn into a military confrontation over Israeli violations and encroachments.
Its priority is the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese land, without providing any excuse for exceeding the 60-day deadline.
