Press conference of Lebanese opposition MPs

Opposition leaders held a press conference on Monday to highlight their stance regarding war on Lebanon and de-escalation: 

“In response to escalation and threats reaching the highest level since October 8, with increased concerns of a broader war, which has already resulted in hundreds of Lebanese casualties, widespread destruction of homes, and severe economic and environmental damage due to daily Israeli assaults, will have repercussions on Lebanon at various levels. In light of the political, economic, and financial crises, including the deadlock in electing a new president, who can reinstates authority and regular functioning of institutions to perform their constitutional roles, Lebanon faces many dangers. Based on national responsibility, it is our duty to declare a stance regarding who we represent among Lebanese who decisively refuse to drag Lebanon into a war it has nothing to do with, as they consist a significant majority of Lebanese. We are actively working in every way to prevent Lebanon from sliding into a broader war. As Lebanese opposition leaders, we hurried to hold a press conference to sound the alarm with rationality and national responsibility. We proposed our vision through a roadmap for de-escalation and avoid a devastating war. Lebanon should not be made to pay the price for new regional equations.
We want to reaffirm key points:

First: We stress on the importance of not conflating Lebanon's situation with that of Palestine. While we reiterate our support for the Palestinian cause, especially Gaza residents, we adhere to the principle of the two-state solution and announce a Beirut Summit. We absolutely condemn Israel’s actions from systematic killing, displacement and settlement. We oppose dragging Lebanon into a wider war intended to serve Iran's regional ambitions. We will not be dragged into an all-out war that does not benefit the Palestinian cause, while destroying Lebanon. We will not accept that armed groups, local or foreign, to operate on Lebanese territory, and to impose the logic of the unity of battlefields. The majority of Lebanese reject serving a project for the regional resistance, which uses the Palestinian cause only, with the possibility of making new enemies for Lebanon with the Arab and international communities, Cyprus and the European Union.

Second: We reiterate the importance and necessity of implementing Resolution 1701 with all its items. We urge all parties to support the Lebanese Army and security forces in maintaining control over the southern borders, east and north. We also call for implementing resolutions of international legitimacy 1559, 1680 and other international treaties signed by the Lebanese government. This should be fully applied to consolidate the state’s sovereignty on its soil, and the decision of war and peace, in addition to the related items of the Taif Agreement

Third: We call for avoiding a broader was while it is still possible. This requires the caretaker government to bear the abandoned responsibility, since the first day of war, swiftly initiating:
1- Ending all military activity outside the scope of the Lebanese government and agencies, which begin on Lebanese territory.
2- Declaring a state of emergency in the south and handing the Lebanese Army control.
3- Commissioning the Lebanese  army to confront any aggression on Lebanese soil
4- Moving forward diplomatically to return to the Truce Agreement signed in 1949 and fully implement Resolution 1701.

Fourth: We call for a parliamentary session to discuss the ongoing war in the south and its risk of spreading, with the aim of the rest of the MPs to endorse the outlined points as a roadmap to defuse tensions and prevent a war that the Lebanese people do not want and that official institutions have not decided to undergo a war.

Beirut, Monday, July 1, 2024”