The President of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, indicated that "what we are witnessing on our southern borders is not a legitimate Lebanese decision, as neither the government convened to make it, nor was it discussed in parliament, nor is there an agreement on it among the Lebanese parties and factions. This decision was taken by one party based on non-Lebanese considerations and is applied unilaterally at its own responsibility, heedless of its dangers. Up until now, we have between 80,000 and 100,000 displaced persons from the south."
He said, "Some believe that what is happening in the south falls under the umbrella of supporting and assisting Gaza. For the record, we are 100% with Gaza, we support and stand in solidarity with its people to the end, and we condemn what they are subjected to; this is unacceptable on all levels. But there is a question: How does the strikes emanating from the south help Gaza? Can Gaza witness anything worse than what is happening now?"
He added, "According to military sciences, every geographic area can bear a certain military capacity, and the Israeli force attacking Gaza is the maximum that can be positioned in an area of 365 km², which is the area of Gaza. Thus, what is happening in the south does not benefit Gaza; in fact, it harms it in some way." He emphasized that "Gaza is the pretext."
Geagea confirmed that "the aim of what is happening on our southern borders is to convey to everyone, through the party and the axis of resistance up to Iran, that they exist in the equation to secure a position for themselves, so they can later gain some advantages when the time for negotiations comes, and at that time, the Palestinians will be the ones who fought in Gaza while others will sit at the negotiating table."
He clarified that "what is happening in the south harms Gaza, as it has achieved nothing materially in terms of delaying the attack or lessening its ferocity. The attack is devastating from all directions and with all types of weapons without interruption. Therefore, what the Houthis in Yemen and the party in Lebanon are doing appears as if the events in Gaza are part of a system or a link within a series of Iranian militias in the region, starting from Lebanon through Syria and Iraq to Yemen."
He continued, "Especially since this system is not favored and the entire world wants to fight it, and it enjoys no support other than from the group itself. At a time when a large number of countries and individuals around the world are leaning toward supporting the Palestinian cause, especially after what happened in Gaza, if it seems that what is happening in Gaza is part of the Iranian militias system, any domestic, foreign, and international popular support for the case of Gaza specifically will diminish, if not completely vanish. Thus, this matter harms Gaza and does not benefit it."
He concluded, "It is true that we are going through significant developments and that the challenges before us are difficult, but we must not be afraid, because when we have determination and will, and we fully understand what we must do within a united group that constitutes a force like the one we are witnessing currently, there is no room for fear, even though no one knows what will happen. As long as we remain steadfast in this situation and have faith and determination, we will be able to face any challenge in some way. Therefore, I wish you happy holidays; do not be afraid as long as we are here; we will continue until the end to save our country and protect you and humanity in Lebanon."
