Samir Geagea: Hezbollah's Useless War with Israel Has Harmed Lebanon

The leader of the Christian party "Lebanese Forces," Samir Geagea, criticized Hezbollah for opening a front against Israel in support of the Palestinian group Hamas, stating that this militia has harmed Lebanon without inflicting any damage on Israel. In an interview with the Associated Press, Geagea called for Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon along the border with Israel, asserting that the Lebanese army should be deployed in areas where the militia, supported by the Islamic Republic, operates. This veteran Lebanese politician made these remarks during the interview on Tuesday night, as Western diplomats are seeking to mediate in the border conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli army due to concerns about the war escalating. Hezbollah began launching rockets toward Israeli military posts and centers on October 8 of last year, one day after Hamas militants attacked Israel and the war in Gaza began, in support of this Iranian-backed Palestinian group. Geagea emphasized that "Hezbollah is not the government of Lebanon" and added, "No one has the right to determine the fate of a country and its people alone." Amos Hochstein, the U.S. special envoy, warned during a visit to Beirut last month about the risk of increased hostilities in the region, stating that a ceasefire in Gaza would not necessarily end hostilities along the southern Lebanon-Israel border. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had previously stated that the army would increase its attacks on Hezbollah, even with a potential temporary ceasefire in Gaza, in response to daily attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel. The French Foreign Minister has entered Lebanon in an effort to stop the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The European Parliament passed a resolution stating that the IRGC and Hezbollah as a whole should be placed on the list of "terrorist organizations." The Israeli army reported that two Hezbollah field commanders were killed, and on Saturday, it targeted Hezbollah forces in Lebanon for the third time. Hezbollah announced that it would avoid escalating the conflict with Israel, while an attack by Hezbollah on a village in northern Israel resulted in 18 injuries.