The head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gibran Basil, stated that "Israel has never needed an excuse to attack us, and October 7 will impose a new equation. The loss has been recorded against Israel after it was entrenched in the July war and began in 2008." He argued that "there is no solution other than the two-state solution. We support the Beirut initiative, and we believe in peace and brotherhood among people. What matters to me is Lebanon."
During an interview with LBCI, he added, "The humanitarian scene is unacceptable by any standard. This is evidence of genocide, and if Israel occupies Gaza, what is the political translation of that?" He confirmed, "Transfer will not happen. There is a people who resist and want to die on their land, and the logic of force can only be stopped by the logic of rights and peace."
He continued, "The resistance may not contradict the issue of neutrality but can complement it. We want to be in a position of self-defense, not attack. Shebaa Farms is occupied Lebanese land, and Hezbollah has affirmed through its operations there the right of Lebanon to reclaim its land, and it has lost martyrs while adhering to the rules of engagement."
He pointed out that "in Gaza, there is a discovered gas field, and Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria are in the same geological basin, yet they are prohibited from extraction. I hope the first outcomes of the war will change Lebanon's negotiating position regarding gas so that we do not 'stand in line.' There is deliberate delay, and we must establish the equation of refusing to allow Israel to benefit from its gas while we are delayed."
He added, "We can only respect the martyrdom, and the martyrs of Hezbollah are Lebanese. When someone calls for the army to remove what they call militants at this stage, it's as if they are inviting Israel to invade Lebanon. We do not want to drag Lebanon into war, but we refuse to drag it into defeat because defeat against Israel is enslavement. Hezbollah may err in internal politics, and we have criticized them a lot, but we cannot be mistaken about the strategy, and we cannot ignore that there are Lebanese living their lives normally while martyrs are falling in the south."
He said, "Hamas has its structure inside Palestine, so it should use it there, whether it is them or others. We do not want to repeat the experience of Fatah in Gaza. What is happening is still within limits, and Hezbollah is managing the situation. However, we do not accept even the smallest infringement. A strong Lebanon contributes to the liberation of Jerusalem, not a 'broken' Lebanon."
Basil announced, "Despite the difficulty of the situation with the falling martyrs, I clearly communicated my position and concerns to Mr. Nasrallah during our call, and the party is keen on Lebanon's interest." He stated, "America does not want to expand the war, and Hezbollah and Iran do not want to expand the war, and until today, operations are controlled and within the rules of engagement."
