Geagea: Hezbollah Incapable of Ending War; Urges Govt. Action
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized Hezbollah's role in the ongoing conflict, stating the group is incapable of negotiating a peace deal.
- Geagea urged the Lebanese government, led by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, to take decisive action to assert state authority and end the war.
- He noted that Saudi Arabia's support for Lebanon is contingent on the country becoming a functional state, and that Hezbollah's armed activity remains illegal despite being on paper.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has sharply criticized Hezbollah's involvement in the ongoing conflict, asserting that the group is ill-equipped to broker a resolution and should allow the government to lead the peace process. As reported by Naharnet, Geagea emphasized that President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are diligently working to extricate Lebanon from the crisis, a predicament he attributes to Hezbollah's actions.
Hezbollah is in no position to seek political concessions and should instead be held accountable for the situation into which it has dragged the country.
Geagea's remarks highlight a significant political divide within Lebanon. He contends that Hezbollah is in no position to demand political concessions and should instead be held accountable for dragging the nation into its current predicament. The Lebanese Forces leader called for the state to decisively reassert its authority across all Lebanese territories, pointing out that the Taif Agreement, which mandates full state sovereignty, has not been effectively implemented regarding Hezbollah's armed status.
The decision to consider Hezbollah's armed activity illegal has remained merely a decision on paper and was never implemented.
Furthermore, Geagea shed light on the international dimension, noting that Saudi Arabia, despite its support for legitimate Lebanese institutions, is hesitant to take further initiatives. This reluctance, he explained, stems from the Lebanese state's perceived inability to enforce its decisions. Saudi Arabia's desire for a functional Lebanese state is paramount. Geagea stressed that the responsibility for managing negotiations, including their timing and participants, rests solely with President Aoun. This perspective underscores the Lebanese Forces' stance: a call for a strong, sovereign Lebanese state, free from the influence of non-state armed actors, and capable of engaging constructively with international partners like Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia wants Lebanon to be a functional state.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Naharnet in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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