President Fouad Siniora expressed his "great astonishment and condemnation" regarding a statement issued by Hamas in Lebanon yesterday, where the movement called for the establishment and launch of "The Vanguards of Al-Aqsa Flood." This, according to the statement, is to affirm the role of the Palestinian people in all places of their presence to resist occupation by all available and legitimate means, and as a continuation of what was achieved by the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation.
He stated: "I would like to draw the attention of our Palestinian brothers to the fact that the Lebanese people have always stood unequivocally alongside the Palestinian people in their rightful cause to regain their rights and land, using the means chosen by the Palestinian people. However, any thought of our Palestinian brothers returning to armed action from Lebanon is an unacceptable and rejected matter."
He added: "Lebanon has canceled the Cairo Agreement, which allowed freedom for Palestinian armed actions from its territory, after Lebanon has paid a heavy price in terms of the lives of its citizens, its stability, and its development over many decades."
He said: "The Lebanese people have approved the Taif Agreement and committed to it as a covenant for common living to ensure national coexistence, which stated that all armed militias should be disbanded, and emphasized the need to consolidate the exclusive authority of the Lebanese state over its entire territory and national soil. It also confirmed Lebanon's complete commitment to the resolutions of both the Arab and international legitimacy, particularly Resolution 1701."
He concluded: "We hope that our Palestinian brothers fully understand this matter, thus sparing themselves and the Lebanese from disagreements in this difficult time."
