Latest news with #Geagea
Nahar Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Geagea says Hezbollah's Qassem seems to be 'on another planet'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 May 2025, 14:36 Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem seems "as if he's on another planet" to Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who criticized Qassem's "unrealistic" statements, in an interview with LBCI on Wednesday night. Geagea said foreign countries will not help Lebanon or deal with the Lebanese state as long as Hezbollah is keeping its "illegal" arms. "There will be no reconstruction, no financial rescue — all of that is now suspended, frozen, and paralyzed, until Hezbollah disarms. No one will want to deal with the state in such a situation." Geagea praised Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's stance on Hezbollah's arms but urged President Joseph Aoun to set a deadline for the disarmament of the group. "Salam's stances are very clear but Aoun's dialogue can not be indefinitely open. A timeframe is needed, decisive decisions are needed, although no one wants conflict," he said. Aoun and Hezbollah have been exchanging messages and the president met with a delegation from Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc on Monday. Aoun has long stressed that disarming Hezbollah should happen through a calm dialogue warning against the use of force or dealing hastily with the matter. Hezbollah's leader said the group will not discuss giving up its remaining weapons until Israel withdraws from the five border points it occupies in southern Lebanon and stops its airstrikes. "We have completely adhered" to the ceasefire agreement, Qassem said, adding: "Don't ask us for anything else from now on. Let Israel withdraw, stop its aggression, release the prisoners and fulfill all obligations under the agreement. After that, we will discuss each new development." Geagea responded that Hezbollah has no right to impose conditions and sarcastically added that the group failed to liberate Lebanese land through the use of force. "Can Hezbollah make Israel withdraw by force? Than why hasn't it done that?" Hezbollah was left badly weakened by more than a year of hostilities with Israel, beginning with the group's campaign of rocket fire at its arch-foe in support of Gaza, and culminating in a major Israeli bombing campaign and ground incursion into Lebanon. "We need to implement the ceasefire deal. A Peace treaty with Israel is not our priority now," Geagea said, amid talks about a possible normalization of ties with Israel. Israel's ambassador to the U.S. had said earlier this month that Syria and Lebanon could join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel even before Saudi Arabia. "I am very optimistic about the potential of an Abraham Accord with Syria and Lebanon," Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said.
Nahar Net
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Geagea says govt must set timeframe for disarming Palestinian camps
by Naharnet Newsdesk 22 May 2025, 14:08 The government must set a timeframe not exceeding a few weeks to collect Palestinian arms inside and outside camps and become in charge of security, Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea said Thursday as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Lebanon. Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed that Palestinian factions won't use Lebanon as a launchpad for any attacks against Israel, and to remove weapons that aren't under the authority of the Lebanese state. Geagea praised Abbas saying he has always worked towards maintaining "healthy Lebanese-Palestinian ties". "Abbas' statements have refuted every excuse the Axis of Resistance was hiding behind in order to continue carrying illegal weapons," Geagea said, adding that time has come for Lebanese people to have a real state with monopoly on weapons. A joint statement by Aoun and Abbas said that both sides have agreed that weapons should only be with the Lebanese state, and the existence of "weapons outside the control of the Lebanese state has ended." The statement said that both sides have agreed that Palestinian camps in Lebanon aren't "safe havens for extremist groups." It added that "the Palestinian side confirms its commitment of not using Lebanese territories to launch any military operations."
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun welcomes country's 'recovery,' Geagea evokes "'significant changes' after first round of municipal elections
Reacting to the municipal elections, the first round of which was launched on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, President Joseph Aoun congratulated the winners, reminding them that taking responsibility begins "after the elections." In a brief statement, President Aoun, who oversaw the launch of the polls on Sunday morning from several administrations, welcomed the fact that "Lebanon is moving resolutely forward on the path to recovery, despite the crises and challenges it has faced." "Taking responsibility begins after the elections," he added, calling on the new municipal councilors and mokhtars to "serve citizens and respond to their needs," which "constitutes the fundamental objective" of their mandate. Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF), also welcomed the initial results of Mount Lebanon's municipal elections, saying they show growing support for the LF and the Kataeb Party as the month-long voting process begins. In a statement, Geagea stated that this "significant change" achieved in the new municipal councils," especially in the major cities, clearly indicates that citizens, regardless of political affiliation, are no longer satisfied with corruption or mismanagement at all levels." Geagea stressed that these results are "hopeful and confirm that Lebanon has entered a new phase," stating that the elections in other regions will not be less promising." The municipal elections will be held on Sunday 11th in North Lebanon, the 18th in the Bekaa and Beirut. On Saturday 24th (since Sunday the 25th is a holiday) voting will be held in the South, where entire villages have been devastated by the last war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, and where a fragile cease-fire was declared last November 27. The elections in Mount Lebanon confirmed that the LF and the Kataeb are asserting themselves as the main political force on the Christian scene. Likely due to the increased popularity of Geagea's party, in a context of heightened political polarization around Hezbollah's arms., as well as the alliances concluded by this formation with various local actors. Most of the time, the LF were in coalition with the Kataeb, in addition to alliances with notable families and local political clans. By late Sunday evening, the LF-Kataeb alliance had notably claimed the entire municipal council of Jounieh and Jbeil, the two major Christian cities on the coast of Mount Lebanon. In the Metn district, the lists supported by the two parties were able to win the municipalities of Dbayeh and Jdeideh-Bauchrieh-Sed al-Bauchrieh (one of the largest in the region), still according to the initial results.
Ya Libnan
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Lebanon's top Christian leaders call for disarming Hezbollah
The leaders of the largest Christian political parties in Lebanon called for the state's monopoly on weapons after Hezbollah's war with Israel weakened it and left south Lebanon in ruins 'We've been missing a real state for 50 years,' Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a harsh critic of Hezbollah, said Saturday, calling for the state to have monopoly on arms and to be the sole decision maker in the country. 'We cannot build a real state without the state's monopoly on arms,' Geagea said, claiming that the occupation is the result of Hezbollah's arms. Hezbollah was created by Israel after the so called Black September in 1970 's when PLO fighters fled from Jordan to Lebanon and intensified their attacks from southern Lebanon against Israel . The Shiite areas in southern Lebanon were devastated the most which brought them closer to Israel . Hezbollah was adopted in 1982 by Iran following Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was very popular in 2000 after it was able to help end Israeli occupation of south Lebanon but its popularity diminished greatly ever since . Hezbollah brought death, destruction, and despair to Lebanon ever since 2000. Its arms have become a symbol of ruin. The majority of the Lebanese are convinced that Hezbollah's military apparatus must be handed over to the Lebanese army—not necessarily for use because they have proven to be worthless and catastrophic. Every time Hezbollah fought a war against Israel , Lebanon ended up losing a chunk of land to Israel. In its 2006 war against Israel Lebanon ended up losing the northern part of the town of Ghajar and in its 2023/24 war with Israel Lebanon under up losing 5 strategic hills to Israel . Hezbollah and arms have become a huge liability for Lebanon ., according to analysts 'Let us be clear: Hezbollah has never been a resistance movement. It is a burden on Lebanon's shoulders. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon's economy has collapsed. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon now ranks as the third most miserable country in the world—just behind war-ravaged Afghanistan and Zimbabwe', Ali Hussein a Lebanese political analyst was quoted as saying . Hezbollah initiated the attacks against Israel in October 2023 to help its Iran- backed Hamas ally in its war against Israel. Like Hezbollah Hamas was also created by Israel to fight the Palestinian Fatah organization , but later adopted by Iran to increase its influence in the Middle East Under a truce deal reached in late November, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south and Israel was to withdraw all of its forces from south Lebanon, but its troops remain today on five hills in south Lebanon that they deem 'strategic' and refuse to leave , for fear that Hezbollah may attack northern Israel Israel has also continued to carry out near-daily strikes against Lebanon, in which it is targeting members of Hezbollah who remained in the south in violation of the truce deal . Hezbollah's chief Sheikh Naim Qassem, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and other Hezbollah officials have said that Hezbollah will not disarm unless Israel withdraws from south Lebanon and halts its violations. 'Sheikh Qassem and everyone else in Lebanon knows that Hezbollah's was never created to defend Lebanon or to liberate Palestine. It was created to serve Iran's regional ambitions. And Iran has never truly sought to liberate Palestine—it has used the Palestinian cause as a tool to destabilize the region and spread its influence through armed proxies like Hezbollah, Ali Hussein was also quoted as saying . The situation in the south over who withdraws first was described by analysts as ' Chicken and Egg situation ' Even Hezbollah's former , Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement , also called for monopoly of arms by the Lebanese army. 'We support the state's monopoly on arms,' Bassil said Friday, accusing Hezbollah of breaking the trust of the Lebanese by using its arsenal in a way that did not serve Lebanon's interests. 'Hezbollah has made a strategic mistake and Lebanon's interest is in distancing itself from regional conflicts.' He said Bassil is the son-in-law of FPM founder , former President Michel Aoun, a key ally of Hezbollah. Bassil criticized Hezbollah for several times for initiating the war with Israel.
Nahar Net
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Geagea and Bassil call for Hezbollah disarmament
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours The leaders of the two biggest Christian parties have both called for the state's monopoly on weapons after Hezbollah was left badly weakened by more than a year of hostilities with Israel. "We've been missing a real state for 35 years," Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a harsh critic of Hezbollah, said Saturday, calling for the state to have monopoly on arms and to be the sole decision maker in the country. "We cannot build a real state without the state's monopoly on arms," Geagea said, claiming that the occupation is the result of Hezbollah's arms. Hezbollah was founded in 1982 to end Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon. It achieved that in 2000 following a long war of attrition that eventually forced Israel to withdraw. Israel re-occupied parts of Lebanon after clashes with Hezbollah - beginning with the group's campaign of rocket fire at its arch-foe in support of Gaza -culminated in a major Israeli bombing campaign and a ground invasion. Under a truce deal reached in late November, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south and Israel was to withdraw all of its forces from south Lebanon, but its troops remain today on five south Lebanon hills that they deem "strategic". Israel has also continued to carry out near-daily strikes against Lebanon, saying it is targeting members of Hezbollah who are breaching the truce agreement. Hezbollah's chief Sheikh Naim Qassem, Parliament Speaker and ally Nabih Berri, and other Hezbollah officials have said that Hezbollah will not disarm unless Israel withdraws from south Lebanon and halts its violations. But whether Israel should withdraw first or Hezbollah disarm first has led to a chicken and egg situation, where both Hezbollah and Israel justify keeping arms and occupation respectively claiming that the other party is breaching the truce. A former ally of Hezbollah, Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has also called for a monopoly on arms. He had many times criticized Hezbollah for starting a war with Israel. "We support the state's monopoly on weapons," Bassil said Friday, accusing Hezbollah of breaking the trust of the Lebanese by using its arsenal in a way that did not serve Lebanon's interests. "This does not mean that Israel was not the one that attacked Lebanon or that we support Israel," he added. "Hezbollah has made a strategic mistake and Lebanon's interest is in distancing itself from regional conflicts."
