After his meeting with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh, Head of the "Free Patriotic Movement" MP Gebran Bassil indicated that "Lebanon has the right to defend itself against any Israeli aggression, and it is also our duty to state that no party can drag us into war, unless it is imposed upon us, in which case we would be compelled to defend ourselves."
Bassil stated: "We are currently facing a significant crisis that concerns Lebanon and the entire region. Therefore, I believe we should work together to unite all Lebanese people on a single stance, a unified vision, and a common perspective on how to deal with the new developments in our region and our country. Today, I am pleased to have met with President Nabih Berri, and I found a considerable understanding regarding the various matters I raised with him. A time will come when we will discuss these details, but for now, I will simply say that the central theme is national unity and the protection of Lebanon. It is our duty to stand by the Palestinian people, who are enduring a humanitarian massacre that I am unsure if history has witnessed a similar instance."
He concluded by stating: "There is an increasingly urgent issue regarding internal regulation and the reconstruction of authority, starting with the election of a President for the Republic, through mutual understanding given the difficult situations we face. The time now is not to challenge one another, but rather to protect the country in the face of a crisis that can be described as having numerous explosive elements, the most significant being the Palestinian refugee situation and the Syrian displacement. These two elements stemmed from a single party that is capable of exacerbating our situation, and we must confront them in a humane, political, rational, and appropriate manner."
Berri also discussed the financial situation during his reception of the acting Governor of the Central Bank, Wassim Mansouri. In the afternoon, Speaker Berri met with the Minister of Interior and Municipalities in the caretaker government, Bassam Mawlawi, to review the general conditions, particularly the security and political situations.
