Beirut: House Speaker Nabih Berri asserted on Tuesday that the Resistance has fully adhered to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, emphasizing the deployment of more than 9,000 Lebanese Army soldiers and officers south of the Litani River, ready to extend to the internationally recognized border. Berri highlighted that the main obstacle to this deployment is the ongoing Israeli occupation of significant areas of southern Lebanese territory, as confirmed by UNIFIL's periodic reports.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Berri, speaking from Ain al-Tineh during a meeting with a delegation from the Union of Islamic Radio and Television Networks, questioned Israel's commitment to the ceasefire agreement, asking when and how Israel has respected any clause of it. Berri also criticized certain domestic voices for rejecting the mention of 'Resistance' in political or media discourse, questioning why any country would deny a significant part of its history.
Berri disclosed that U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus recently discussed issues concerning Israel's claims of weapon flows from Syria and the negotiation process, labeling both claims as false. He stated that the U.S., with its advanced surveillance, is well aware of the situation. On the negotiation front, Berri emphasized the need to activate the 'mechanism' committee regularly and suggested consulting civilian and military experts, as done during previous demarcations.
Regarding Lebanon's electoral law, Berri expressed openness to discussing solutions if there are ideas, but questioned the genuine desire for a resolution. He affirmed that the current law remains in force and that elections must proceed as scheduled to avoid a political confrontation. On the topic of normalization, Berri expressed confidence that the Lebanese people would oppose it, recalling the words of the late jurist Abdallah Lahoud regarding the Maronites' and Lebanon's stance against peace or normalization with Israel.
Discussing reconstruction and resilience in the south, Berri emphasized the importance of steadfastness and remaining on the land despite ongoing challenges posed by the Israeli occupation forces. He concluded by noting that the Msayleh coordination meeting marks the beginning of a plan to initiate the reconstruction process.