The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants issued a statement indicating that "the newspaper Al-Akhbar published an article today deliberately omitting the official position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdallah Bouhabib under the title 'A New Scandal for Lebanon at the Arab League'. The Ministry wishes to clarify the following:
1. The outlines of Lebanon's foreign policy are set by the Cabinet, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs presents these at all meetings, positions, and forums, after consulting and coordinating with the President of the Republic (before the presidential vacancy) and the Prime Minister. Thus, the Minister is not independently pursuing a foreign policy, and external pressures do not benefit, as his decision is not separate from that of the two presidents, with whom he continuously consults as part of institutional logic.
2. As is customary in such meetings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also consulted and coordinated with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, the official representative of the rightful owner and the first party concerned with the Israeli aggression against the occupied Palestinian territories.
3. The article intentionally ignored a clear and unequivocal presentation of the Lebanese position. For reminder, the Minister expressed in his written speech (attached herewith), which the Arab League and the session's management chose to summarize instead of delivering, that it would be adopted as an official document in their records and will be published on the Arab League's website, reflecting the position of the concerned countries, including Lebanon.
The statement continued: "Since the newspaper opted for yellow journalism in provocation and deception rather than investigation and analysis, we remind that Minister Bouhabib's statement emphasized solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, in addition to ensuring that aid reaches the people of Gaza who are under fire and siege, subjected to aggression from Israel, characterized by revenge, terror, and destruction. The statement condemned the Israeli actions which constitute a blatant violation of international law. Furthermore, it indicated that Lebanon has never sought war but aims to restore rights to their rightful owners, calling for pressure on Israel to halt its war machine and lift the siege, warning that the continuation of the current situation would lead to a devastating regional war."
The statement concluded: "Based on what has been presented, we leave it to the Lebanese people to judge whether the Lebanese position is a scandal or if the frivolity in hurling accusations recklessly is the real scandal."
In his speech at the extraordinary ministerial meeting in Cairo, Bouhabib said: "I start my speech today by expressing Lebanon's firm solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza. The images coming from the besieged and bombarded territory are painful and harsh. In this regard, we call upon all humanitarian agencies, international organizations, and all countries to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population facing gunfire and siege.
The ongoing assault by Israeli forces on Gaza is more than just a military operation. It is a blatant assault on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Such actions can only be understood through the lens of revenge, terror, and destruction. The systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, from schools to hospitals, is condemned as a wartime act and is an affront to all principles of humanity and human rights, constituting a stark violation of international law. These operations and this escalation will only complicate the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories further. The actions we are witnessing today carry grave potential for destabilizing the entire region, pushing us toward a brink from which it may be impossible to return."
He added: "Lebanon has never been and will never be willing for war, but always seeks solutions. A just, permanent, and comprehensive solution has always been clear. The road to peace has been drawn since the Beirut Summit and the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. We must not stray from this path. We are called today, more than ever, to follow the path of rationality and prioritize political logic, to spare the region an unpredictable war with costly and severe consequences. Comprehensive war in our region will lead only to misery, destruction, and poverty, fueling endless cycles of calamities, resulting in more bloodshed, more violence, and more chaos in the region and the world. We cannot, and we should not, allow that. Therefore, our moral responsibility and duty is to pressure Israel by any means possible, whether through the wise in this world and the international community, to stop the war machine, call for intensified efforts to prevent further escalation, halt the excessive use of force, end the siege, and ensure humanitarian aid, food, and medical supplies reach the besieged population of Gaza."
Bouhabib concluded: "The Palestinian people have been suffering under occupation and siege for more than seven decades. It is time for this people to live in freedom and dignity. We are here today to express solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and to seek to avoid the worst-case scenario."
