The Arab Khalde tribes, during a meeting held in the hall of the Martyr Hasan Ghosn Mosque, condemned the military court's rulings against those detained during the events in Khalde. They declared themselves as "the safety valve of Lebanon," appealing to the army leadership, security forces, the military court, and the Court of Cassation to stop the injustice against Khalde detainees "before it is too late."
During the meeting, Sheikh Khaldoun Araymt, representing the Mufti of the Republic, addressed the tribes, saying: "Rest assured that there is no Lebanon without you and without the application of your rights, and no one should claim to liberate Jerusalem, for you are the guardians of Jerusalem, whether they like it or not." He affirmed the pursuit of the case in the Court of Cassation and other venues until justice is achieved.
For his part, the head of the "Independence Movement," MP Michel Moawad, called for the formation of a parliamentary committee to follow up on the situation of the detainees from the Khalde events politically and judicially. He stated: "The path to Jerusalem will not pass through Khalde," adding: "We came to say that we are committed to justice, which is indivisible."
MP Ashraf Rifi affirmed, "We will not succumb to intimidation, and we can no longer bear patience; we are capable, with our Christian-Muslim unity, of putting an end to the other project." MP Imad Al-Hout pointed out that "the people of Khalde are keen on suppressing all sedition."
MP Bilal Abdullah criticized the military court's actions: "It erred by not handling the Khalde case as it handled the files of Israeli collaborators." MP Mohammad Sleiman called on the army leadership to do justice by the people of Khalde and the tribes.
MP Mark Daou stated from Khalde: "No one should control Khalde and Lebanon. What is happening in Khalde is a demonstration of courage in facing treachery." Meanwhile, MP Nazeih Metri said, "In light of uncontrolled weapons and unsecured borders, we will not achieve statehood, and we all know that Hezbollah places itself above the law."
In this context, the Lebanese army was heavily deployed in Khalde prior to the sit-in organized by the Khalde Arab committees following the military court’s rulings. There were reports of large popular crowds and extensive parliamentary and spiritual attendance in Khalde to protest the military court's decisions regarding the detainees from the events in Khalde. The meeting, held at the Martyr Hasan Ghosn Mosque in Khalde, included MPs Ashraf Rifi, Michel Moawad, Nazeih Metri, Fouad Makzoub, Waddah Sadeq, Mark Daou, Kamil Shamon, Bilal Hashimi, and Mohammad Sleiman, Bilal Abdullah.
