Mikati stresses need to bridge the gap between the Lebanese people

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed Friday that the Israeli enemy will be relieved should Lebanon be divided, noting that division will prevent the return of the state of Palestine. He pointed out that the Palestinian leaderships dissociated themselves from the Syrian conflict in order to escape further fighting and displacement.      

In a speech he delivered on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Mikati said that the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 world powers constitutes a shift toward peaceful solutions for the ongoing crises.    

“The fire raging nearby is starting to get closer to us, it is urgent to bridge the gap between the Lebanese people,” Mikati stated, adding that no peace agreement will last without guaranteeing the right of return for the Palestinians.    

“The journey of peace starts with Palestine, no democracy or stability can be restored without Palestine,” the caretaker PM stressed.    

For his part, the Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah confirmed the instructions of the Palestinian authorities that said that the Palestinian refugee camps must remain under the Lebanese legitimacy, pointing out that Israel is still occupying the Palestinian territories and attacking the people.    

Hamdallah called on the international powers to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in order to continue its services.