Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, has asserted that Lebanon’s position on any potential settlement is “a ceasefire and the implementation of Resolution 1701, with no additions or omissions,” Rai Al-Youm reported, citing an interview that Berri gave to Al-Jomhouria newspaper.
“Our position is unequivocal: we demand a ceasefire and the enforcement of Resolution 1701. It is unreasonable to think we would accept a settlement that benefits Israel at the cost of Lebanon’s sovereignty and interests,” he stressed.
In response to Israeli Defence Minister Yisrael Katz’s claim that Israel has defeated Hezbollah, Berri asked: “What victory are they speaking of? Did they achieve victory in Gaza? Thirteen months of warfare on the Strip, and they have neither secured the return of their captives nor managed to defeat Hamas. On the contrary, Hamas continues to fight and resist fiercely, with Israeli prisoners still held.”
“In Lebanon, they carried out assassinations against Hezbollah leaders, destroyed homes, demolished civilian buildings and killed civilians. Is this truly a victory? Did they win on the ground? Have these assassinations, destruction and killings enabled them to claim victory?”
When asked about reports suggesting Israel is worried about a possible Security Council resolution against it, Berri said: “When has Israel ever respected Security Council resolutions, or given them any weight? If Israel truly respected them and felt threatened, it would have implemented the series of resolutions passed, notably Resolutions 242 and 338, and it would have abided by Resolution 1701, which it has violated over 30,000 times.”
Resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006 to halt hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The Lebanese government has consistently affirmed its commitment to applying Resolution 1701 and deploying the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River once a ceasefire is applied.