National Bloc: Protecting the South Begins with an Immediate Ceasefire

The National Bloc strongly condemns the brutal attack committed by Israel today on the town of Kfar Dajjal, Nabatieh, which resulted in the injury of several students on a school bus.

This attack on our children in the South is yet another episode in a long and relentless series of Israeli aggressions against Lebanese civilians and their properties, and the destruction of villages in the South, Bekaa, and other parts of the country.

Now, more than eight months into the conflict in the South, it has become clear that Hezbollah’s decision to tie the fate of the Lebanese people—particularly those in the South—to the developments of the war in Gaza is a grave miscalculation, with serious risks, and the increasing likelihood of a broader regional confrontation.

For over 50 years, the Lebanese people, especially in the South, have borne the burden of regional conflicts and cross-border power struggles. It is their right to demand the stability they have long been denied. The state must now take responsibility and urgently work towards:

• Leveraging international pressure to prevent the further expansion of the war in Lebanon, securing a ceasefire agreement, and following it up with an agreement on land borders, similar to the maritime border deal, under international protection.
• Deploying and reinforcing the Lebanese army along the borders, while transferring Hezbollah’s military capabilities and expertise to the army. This would not only preserve military strength but also grant it constitutional and popular legitimacy.
• Initiating an inclusive and genuine national dialogue that involves all Lebanese citizens—not just political forces—ensuring collective decision-making on matters of war and peace, and the defense of our borders, strictly within legitimate state institutions.

Any deterrence policy that does not place the protection of Lebanese lives at its core—particularly those living on the frontlines—along with the safeguarding of their villages, livelihoods, and their hopes for a dignified and prosperous future, is a failed policy. It serves foreign interests and runs counter to Lebanon’s national interests.