Parliamentary office calls on government to 'act' against Israeli 'aggressions'

L'Orient-Le Jour

08-05-2025

Parliament's office condemned "Israeli aggression" in Lebanon and called on the government to "act urgently to take the necessary measures to end this aggression," during a meeting Thursday chaired by the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The modification of the law governing municipal elections, particularly in Beirut, was also discussed during this meeting.
Following intense strikes on the Nabatieh region Thursday morning, which killed at least two, the Parliament's office "condemned Israel's persistent violation of the cease-fire agreement and repeated aggressions" in Lebanon.
The cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, after almost 13 months of armed conflict. Since then, and despite the terms of the agreement, inspired by U.N. Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, the Israeli army continues to bomb southern Lebanon almost daily, killing more than 150 people according to L'Orient Today's count, and remains present in five so-called strategic positions near the border.
"The government is urged to act urgently to take the necessary measures to end this aggression which, if it continues unrestrained, poses a danger to Lebanon, its stability, and that of the region," said the office, as reported by Elias Bou Saab, the deputy speaker.
These strikes were condemned by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam earlier in the day. '"I affirm that all Israeli violations of resolution 1701 and the cease-fire agreements must cease and that the government has spared no effort and will not spare any effort to accelerate the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory," he said in a message posted on X.
The municipal voting system referred to a commission
Moreover, the amendment of the municipal election voting system was again a subject of divergences, already publicly exposed during the plenary session held on April 24, which led Parliament to request that the issue be addressed by an ad hoc parliamentary commission, often referred to as the "cemetery of legal texts."
While some MPs – notably Christian ones – call for the adoption of closed lists in Beirut to ensure parity within the municipal council (12 Christian members and 12 Muslim members), those from the Sunni community linked such an amendment to the condition of expanding the prime minister's (Sunni) prerogatives at the expense of the governor, a Greek Orthodox official who exercises full executive power over the city.
This time, after a similar debate during the meeting, it was decided to "refer the subject to the competent commission, that of the Interior and Municipalities, for a long-term and calm study – not only for Beirut, but for all of Lebanon," Bou Saab explained. "No one should expect a legislative session to bring about changes to the current electoral law. What is a priority is to hold the legislative elections scheduled in a year."
The municipal elections were held in Mount Lebanon on May 4, and are scheduled for May 11 in North Lebanon, May 18 in Beirut and the Bekaa, and finally May 24 in South Lebanon.