Kataeb Leader Samy Gemayel said that Lebanon is kidnapped and the legitimate Lebanese authorities have no power, affirming that the government is only preparing to deal with the consequences of war, with no attempts to avoid or prevent it.
“It is clear that the Lebanese people have no say in their future nor in the future of their country. We regret what is happening. Hezbollah's control was not supposed to be so evident had the government taken decisive actions to deal with the situation in southern Lebanon. Instead of deploying the Lebanese army in the south to prevent any friction and adhering to Resolution 1701 in cooperation with UNIFIL, the south is left unprotected, the state is absent, and there are no orders for the Lebanese army to prevent any escalation,” Gemayel said in an interview with “Al-Hadath” television.
Regarding Mikati's remarks that the decision on war and peace is not in the hands of the state, Gemayel said: "We are the only party that zoomed in on this statement. If this statement were made in a normal state, it would have led to the fall of governments."
The Kataeb Leader pointed out that Hezbollah and Tehran's allies are motivated by Iran's interests, stating that their calculations are related to Iran's influence and nothing drives them except the regional power that has allies and factions affiliated with it.
In response to a question about the opposition's joint statement expressing its rejection on the kidnapping of Lebanon, he emphasized: "We, along with the Lebanese people, reject dragging Lebanon into war and paying the price of the conflict. Lebanon has paid the price for 50 years. The international community should take responsibility for the Palestinian cause."
Gemayel said that when Hezbollah cannot achieve what it wants, it paralyzes the country.
“Today, there is no president; the decision-maker is Hezbollah, which has redrawn the borders with Israel and is paralyzing institutions that do not comply with its agenda,” he explained.
He urged the international community to liberate Lebanon from Hezbollah’s control.
“As long as Hezbollah controls, Lebanon will not regain its vitality. Even if a president is elected, he will be a hostage to Hezbollah. The government will be under its control as long as illegal weapons, threats, and violence are always present,” he indicated.
"Hezbollah uses its illegal weapons and superiority to deal with the Lebanese. It does not respect the constitution. Instead of observing the situation, everyone should pressure Iran to liberate Lebanon from its influence,” he added.
“The international community should stand by Lebanon's sovereignty and pressure Iran to stop sending money and weapons as it does now. We are a nation that believes in peace and sovereignty, not in blood, wars, and killings,” Gemayel pointed out.
He emphasized that no one stands by Lebanon's sovereignty, saying that the international community is divided between complicity and hiding the truth.
“None of them wants to enter into a conflict with others for Lebanon's sake. None of them is willing to fight to defend the sovereignty of this tortured nation, which has offered the world, especially the Arab world, its dearest possessions,” he noted.
"We hope everyone comes to the negotiation table to withdraw all forms of violence and move towards a path of stability, as the region cannot endure more wars. We are tired, and we want to live safely and peacefully in the region and in our country. What directly prevents us from doing so is Hezbollah,” Gemayel concluded.
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