Gebran Bassil calls for Hezbollah to avoid war and proposes international force

Lebanese MP and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil has expressed concerns regarding Hezbollah’s military involvement in the current conflict. In an interview with LBCI, Bassil stated that Hezbollah currently lacks the military capacity to prevent further Israeli occupation and argued that there is no justification for the group to enter a third war.

Bassil proposed a solution to ensure Israeli withdrawal by commissioning a balanced international force with broad executive powers. He suggested that the deployment and empowerment of the Lebanese Army should serve as the primary guarantee for this process, effectively restricting weapons to the state.

Regarding the regional political landscape, Bassil noted that Lebanon has “given everything and received nothing” under current frameworks. He also highlighted potential US and Israeli opposition to renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Additionally, he predicted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will become even more aggressive following upcoming elections.