Gemayel: Nasrallah is responsible for what is happening in Lebanon

Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel, believed on Wednesday that "Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, is responsible for what is happening in Lebanon.

"I hold Hezbollah responsible for the defamation and death threats we are facing, and this matter is not simple but serious," he said.

In an interview on LBCI, Gemayel noted that "Lebanon is on the brink of war," adding that he does not want Lebanon to experience what is happening in Gaza."

"I am keen on the lives of all Lebanese," he stressed.

He also noted that the people of the south have suffered enough.

"We do not want to give Israel an excuse to do to us what it did to Gaza," he continued.

Where are the Sunnis who call for war and engagement in it? How many are they? Why don't they go to the south? We cannot say that the Sunnis are with the war," Gemayel asked.

Gemayel said that in light of all the sympathy we witness from the Lebanese towards the people of Gaza, "we do not see that the Lebanese people want Lebanon to be dragged into this war," asking: "Which party in Lebanon called for entering into war?"
 
He stressed that parties have rejected this so far, despite the sympathy with Gaza, and treason is caused by our refusal to let Hezbollah monopolize the decision and drag us into war.

He renewed his rejection that "Hezbollah dominates the decision of the state and the parliament.

"But unfortunately, it has been confirmed that Lebanon is kidnapped," he stressed.

Gemayel revealed that they "noticed in the past two weeks the extent of Hezbollah's influence on the Lebanese decision, as the people are waiting for Nasrallah's appearance, not the Prime Minister, to determine Lebanon's stance on the war."

He said: "We believe in the state and legitimate institutions, and we refuse that any party other than the legitimate authorities defends Lebanon. Our position has been clear for 80 years, and we are keen on Lebanon's sovereignty, and military defense should be limited to the Lebanese army only."

He considered that Hezbollah wants to make its military strength part of the unity of arenas and regional powers unrelated to Lebanon," pointing out that "Hezbollah is the one who linked Lebanon's fate to Iraq, Palestine, Syria, and others. It is the one who declared the unity of arenas, and why should we give Israel an excuse to open war on us?"

He emphasized that "no one wants the conflict to extend to Lebanon, and the major powers are working to stop the escalation in the region."

Gemayel wished Nasrallah not to involve the country in the war and said: "I do not ask him to surrender his weapons, but let him keep the deterrent force, but I ask him not to give Israel an excuse to attack us and let the army spread with UNIFIL on the borders."