Free Patriotic Movement: Lebanon Can Only Be Protected by Its State, and Its Sovereignty Can Only Be Preserved Through Unity of Its Decision

The Free Patriotic Movement issued the following statement:

With the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel entering into force, the Free Patriotic Movement sees a pivotal national opportunity that must be approached with the highest degree of responsibility, بعيدًا عن منطق تسجيل النقاط أو الاستثمار السياسي الضيّق.

The Movement calls on the government to set out a clear path that restores the state as the sole reference in sovereign, security, and military decision-making, and to take urgent measures to ensure the dignified and safe return of the displaced to their villages and homes in the south, in a way that prevents Israel from imposing any fait accompli based on emptying the land of its people, and that compels it to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory.

The consolidation of the ceasefire can only be completed through a clear national commitment to the following constants:

First: The responsibility for defending Lebanon and protecting its borders and sovereignty is the exclusive responsibility of the Lebanese state, which alone must hold the decision of war and peace, and must extend its full authority over all Lebanese territory without exception. This requires Hezbollah’s weapons to be handed over to the Lebanese Army within a national framework that facilitates implementation, to be followed by an immediate national security plan that protects Lebanon, in exchange for international guarantees and declared UN resolutions that prevent any Israeli aggression.

Second: The Movement rejects any form of occupation, direct or indirect, and affirms Lebanon’s full right to recover all its territory and safeguard its rights and land and maritime resources, including gas, oil, and water resources, in accordance with international law and international legitimacy.