The image of a collapsing structure that former MP Walid Jumblatt posted on his X platform account yesterday encapsulates the scene as perceived by the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party. Deeply concerned about many issues, Jumblatt is currently focusing on two main matters: the southern front and the potential expansion of the war, as well as the file of Syrian refugees, which carries significant security, social, and economic implications, according to "Al-Akhbar."
The refugee file was the main focus of the meeting that brought Jumblatt together yesterday with a Hezbollah delegation that included the political assistant to the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hajj Hussein Khalil, and the head of the liaison and coordination unit, Wafiq Safa, in the presence of MPs Wael Abu Faour and Hadi Abu Al-Hassan. The brief session, which lasted half an hour, had been planned about two weeks ago but was postponed following the Iranian attack on the Israeli entity in retaliation for the targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Sources noted that the discussion was swift, with Jumblatt addressing the issue of displacement, its implications, and consequences for the country while explaining the Socialist Party’s position on this file. Jumblatt provided the Hezbollah delegation with a document containing several points that he stated he would present to other political factions "to reach a common perspective among the Lebanese and a unified position that would strengthen Lebanon in front of the international community."
The document discusses mechanisms for dealing with the international community and NGOs that support Syrian displacement and work to keep refugees in Lebanon, emphasizing the role of the Lebanese government in this context. Jumblatt also affirmed the necessity of supporting Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his government, assisting them in presenting a unified vision to address this file, hoping to achieve this before the Brussels conference scheduled for the end of May to discuss the situation in Syria and the refugee crisis, where Lebanon will participate.
Simultaneously, Lebanon is making efforts with the European Union to establish a practical framework that would provide Lebanon with more necessary aid and offer incentives for Syrian refugees to return to their homeland. Jumblatt briefly touched on the southern front and the war in Gaza, raising questions about the state of the front, recent international moves towards Lebanon, developments within the Gaza Strip, the status of Palestinian resistance, Israeli plans in the upcoming weeks, and the scenarios on the table. Hezbollah is expected to study the Socialist Party's document and provide its responses and thoughts on the refugee file in the coming days, according to "Al-Akhbar."
