The head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, emphasized that the decision of peace and war is not in the hands of the Lebanese state, but rather in the hands of "Hezbollah." He noted that during the parliamentary session held on October 17, only about 40 opposition deputies supported the council in taking a clear stance against dragging Lebanon into war. When asked about his opinion on the initiative recently launched by the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, Geagea said in an interview with L’Orient Le Jour that he does not favor deceiving the public, especially given the deteriorating situation they are currently living in. He stated that Bassil does not possess any real initiative but instead chooses ineffective gestures, evidenced by the fact that no one knows the main points of the "initiative," which, if it existed, Bassil would have held a press conference to clarify. He added, "To assess any initiative, we must consider the credibility of the person proposing it, and here I believe Bassil lacks credibility in this regard; he is only serious when it comes to sharing power, and for all these reasons, I do not dwell on Mr. Bassil’s attempts."
When asked about Bassil's intensified activity while they remain silent, Geagea responded, "Today, the matter is settled. The opposition can no longer do anything. However, I want to reaffirm that we are not silent. We have worked hard for 18 years to avoid reaching this situation and have paid a heavy price for this goal. But in reality, the decision of peace and war is not in the hands of the Lebanese state, but in Hezbollah's hands. Furthermore, Gibran Bassil has significantly contributed to reaching this outcome."
In response to a question about the Lebanese Forces doing anything against Hezbollah, which is engaged in fighting Israel from Lebanon, particularly since the Lebanese Forces has the largest opposition parliamentary bloc, Geagea commented, "We have the largest parliamentary bloc, but our numbers are not enough to influence developments because some political forces do not provide the support we need. For example, during the parliamentary session on October 17 (which was dedicated to electing committee members), only about 40 opposition deputies supported taking a clear stance against dragging Lebanon into the war in Gaza. I recall in this context that the country is already embroiled in the war, which is evident from the poor economic situation and the decline in the number of flights at the airport (noting that we are in a low season)."
He continued, "The opposition can no longer take any initiative. But it is not the only one in this situation, as no one can do anything. However, we must not forget that the opposition has done everything in its power to avoid reaching this stage and will continue to pressure and call for Lebanon not to engage in the war." Regarding the impact of the conflict in Gaza on the presidential elections, the head of the Lebanese Forces pointed out that "before October 7, the file was frozen at minus 10 degrees, whereas today it is frozen at minus 100 degrees. Everything is tied to the outcome of the current war; the stalemate may last a long time, but we will not allow the Resistance bloc to impose a president on us."
