GEAGEA: SITUATION IN LEBANON CANNOT WAIT FOR A SETTLEMENT IN GAZA, GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE DECISIVE, IMMEDIATE MEASURES ON SOUTHERN FRONT

Lebanese Forces Party Chief, Samir Geagea, stressed that 'the situation in Lebanon cannot wait for that of Gaza to be resolved,' underlining the government's need "to take decisive and immediate measures regarding the southern front, in terms of implementing Resolution 1701," reiterating that opening the southern front is a "major sin" and not a "mistake.' His words came during a ceremony for handing over cards to a new batch of LF members in the northern Bekaa region, held at the party's general headquarters in Maarab. Touching on the presidential file, Geagea voiced his complete rejection of rumored news that the next president will be elected through the Parliament Council of 2026, stressing that 'the Lebanese Forces are working with all their might to ensure that the battle to elect the president does not carry over to the next parliamentary elections.' He called herein on the "centrist representatives" to "assume their responsibilities and contribute to the immediate election of a president of the rep ublic," considering that "this step is the only way out of the current crisis." Geagea also touched on the role of "Hezbollah" inside Lebanon, saying: "No state can have an armed party outside the framework of the state." He asserted that "to ensure the stability of Lebanon and the safety of the Lebanese, the government must immediately implement Resolution 1701 unilaterally, and deploy the Lebanese Army in the south instead of Hezbollah, to achieve national sovereignty and protect the borders.' Regarding international efforts to resolve the Lebanese crisis, Geagea pointed out that 'the solution must be local par excellence,' emphasizing that 'the international community can help, but the final solution lies in the hands of the local forces, especially the centrist representatives who can break the existing stalemate and move towards electing a new president.' Source: National News Agency - Lebanon