The "Free Patriotic Movement" welcomed, in a statement issued following the regular meeting of its political council chaired by MP Jibran Bassil, the UN Security Council's decision to cease hostilities in Gaza. The movement expressed hope that this decision would be implemented effectively and that its effects would extend to Lebanon, which remains susceptible to Israeli attacks, the latest being the bombing of the southern town of Al-Habbariyeh, resulting in the martyrdom of 7 individuals at an ambulance station, along with airstrikes in Baalbek and serious disruptions to Beirut Airport.
The statement urged the resistance to do everything necessary to spare civilians across Lebanon, particularly in the southern and border villages of the Bekaa region, from the threat of Israeli bombardment. It called on the army, the resistance, and peacekeeping forces to take all necessary actions to reassure residents while understanding their right to reject any provocation that threatens their lives and property. It maintained that "national and popular support is a duty in defending Lebanon, but it remains an option when it comes to other arenas."
The statement emphasized the constant readiness to engage in discussions regarding the presidential election and to participate in any beneficial dialogue aimed at electing a consensus president who would work to protect Lebanon and build its state. It called for the urgent execution of the electoral process, considering it a constitutional duty of the Speaker of the Parliament and its members, especially under the current circumstances, warning that prolonging the vacuum has become a danger to the existence of the state and national unity.
It announced that the movement is not a bystander to the ongoing violations of the constitution by a non-constitutional and illegitimate government, noting the serious implications this has for the future of partnership among the Lebanese. The movement also strives to halt the ongoing constitutional massacre but has not received adequate responsiveness from the concerned political forces.
Furthermore, it welcomed the ongoing consultations in Bkerke, expressing hope for the issuance of a national document to preserve Lebanon, its message, and its model, while working to agree on practical measures that the assembled forces would agree upon to ensure the protection of Lebanon's unity and respect for balanced partnership in the state, as well as to confront the danger of marginalizing Christians and to demonstrate the rejection of the ongoing delay in electing a president, undermining his powers, and sidelining the partnership in his absence.
