The media office at Dar Al-Fatwa announced in a statement the "postponement of the visit by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shia at the request of the ambassador's office." Grand Mufti Deryan emphasized in a statement the "necessity of halting U.S. support for the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and calling on the U.S. administration to pressure the Zionist entity to stop its aggression against Gaza and the Palestinian people, impose a ceasefire, establish a humanitarian truce, allow relief aid for the afflicted people of Gaza, and work towards the establishment of the Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, once a final end is placed to the Zionist occupation."
He affirmed that "Lebanon and its people stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have suffered from the Zionist occupation since 1948, and continue to be displaced from their land, with the killing of children, women, and elders, destruction of homes, and genocide without any international, humanitarian, or moral deterrent. Threats of dropping seismic bombs or nuclear bombs on Gaza will not intimidate the Arab and Islamic nation, but will rather increase its faith in its rights and its insistence on rejecting the occupation of its Arab lands."
He pointed out that "there is no solution to the region's problems except by ensuring justice for the oppressed Palestinian people, and justice can only be achieved through establishing a free, independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, encompassing its mosques and churches, in order for Palestine to remain a land of peace and coexistence in the region."
He called for "intensifying diplomatic efforts to stop the massacres against the heroic and patient people of Gaza being targeted for extermination by a brutal Zionist enemy," hoping that "the Arab and Islamic summit to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will yield positive outcomes in unifying positions and taking international measures through the Security Council regarding this aggression and the necessity of preserving the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to their land."
Mufti Deryan warned of "the continuation of Israeli aggression against southern Lebanon and the violation of its sovereignty," expressing concern about "the expansion of Zionist crimes and terrorism in Lebanon and its people, who stand united against the brutal and savage crimes occurring in their land, including the killing of innocent children and women." He cautioned about "the danger of the region sliding into regional wars that threaten everyone's interests both regionally and internationally."
A number of demonstrators in solidarity with the Palestinian cause forced U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shia to postpone her visit to Dar Al-Fatwa and her meeting with Mufti Deryan. The demonstrators, carrying the Palestinian flag, verbally attacked U.S. policies, raised signs, burned Israeli and American flags, and mixed their messages, with one questioning the Mufti for not raising his voice when people lost their deposits.
