Beirut: Leader of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gebran Bassil, stated that the party fully supports the idea of negotiating with Israel, provided it serves specific objectives.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Bassil emphasized the importance of negotiations with Israel in order to stop the war, restore rights, and achieve peace. He clarified that direct negotiations should be viewed as a tactical tool to be employed at the right moment to achieve their objectives. Bassil cautioned against using negotiations under pressure from Israeli aggression without a ceasefire, and rejected the notion of making "free concessions" in what he described as a "path of surrender and defeat."
He outlined several conditions that justify negotiations: a complete halt to Israeli attacks by land, sea, and air; full Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory within internationally recognized borders, including those related to the maritime border agreement; and the immediate return of Lebanese citizens to their towns and homes without conditions.
Bassil also called for the deployment of the Lebanese army across all borders and throughout Lebanese territory, emphasizing the need for its arming within a national defense strategy. He advocated for the principle of restricting weapons exclusively to the state and limiting decision-making power to constitutional institutions. Additionally, he demanded that Israel be held responsible for damages resulting from aggression and called for compensation.
Achieving full state sovereignty over Lebanon's land, air, and sea, as well as its natural resources and their full exploitation, was another key point. Bassil stressed the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace with Israel, based on the 2002 Beirut Arab Peace Initiative and UN resolutions. He underlined the importance of ensuring the non-settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, along with the broader Arab framework that guarantees the return of Syrian displaced persons to their country.