The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, expressed the unusual emotions faced by Lebanese citizens in a single day regarding their nation in the segment 'Minute with Gebran.'
He elaborated: The first emotion emerged when southern Lebanese residents refuted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims, affirming their attachment to their land despite challenges, declaring, 'We are the descendants of Patriarch Elias Howayek with 10,452 km².'
The second, more painful sentiment arose following Israel's deliberate targeting of civilians, disconnected from warfare, including doctors, engineers, medical teams, students, and most recently, a school principal alongside her family.
Lastly, he expressed fear, a sentiment greater than that caused by war, watching helpless authorities overlooking the crime, even denying themselves the right to legally contest it.
Bassil emphasized that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch object to such negligence, yet the authorities remain oblivious.
He continued: What kind of authority deprives a victim's right to legal recourse, forsakes the ceasefire agreement, UN Resolution 1701, and its allies in the quintet committee, yet consents to a framework agreement with a state still at war, thereby entangling itself and pitting its army against its people? It grants Israel, a party to the agreement, the role of judge and permits unfettered actions, including killing and destruction, determining the appropriate timing and imposing security arrangements that lead to potential redeployment.
Bassil asserted: We desire the state to lead negotiations with exclusive decision-making and armament rights, urging Hezbollah to comply with state power. However, we reject repeated assertions by Netanyahu, post-actions, that the Lebanese state provided cover.
In conclusion: Where does the decision lie? In the hands of Israel and Iran, not Lebanon. This is not how decisions should be made.