The National Bloc: Rallying Around the State to Prevent Occupation

The continued Israeli occupation of the five points in southern Lebanon constitutes a blatant violation of national sovereignty and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. We therefore call on the Lebanese state to take immediate action, in coordination with the guarantor countries, to ensure their liberation through the appropriate means and as swiftly as possible. In this regard, we commend the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the liberated areas, in line with the statements made yesterday by the President of the Republic, reaffirming that the state has reclaimed not only its right but also its duty to assume its national responsibilities.

Furthermore, we emphasize that the security of the Lebanese people and the safety of Lebanese territory also depend on the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the Taif Agreement. This includes placing all weapons—particuarly those of Hezbollah—under the sole authority of the state to prevent further reckless adventures that have led to bloodshed and occupation. It also requires securing Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria and shutting down all illegal crossings between the two countries to ensure the safety of residents in those areas.

We also condemn Hezbollah’s attempts to shift responsibility for its actions and their consequences onto others—most recently by trying to blockade the airport road and isolate Lebanon from the world in an effort to pressure the new presidential term and its government with baseless pretexts, despite the fact that Hezbollah and its ministers were the first to submit to those very same conditions. We commend the security forces for their effectiveness and wisdom in handling the situation.

The clock in Lebanon will not turn back. There is no longer room in this country for either Israeli occupation or Iranian dominance. The path to liberation from both has begun, and nothing will stop it.