Berri rejects remarks by US envoy criticizing Lebanese government, army, and resistance groups

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Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri marked the first anniversary of last year’s Israeli assault on South Lebanon by calling for nationwide solidarity and vigilance against what he described as Israel’s ongoing “hostile intentions” toward the entire country.

“The Israeli aggression on the south should awaken the awareness of all Lebanese that Israel’s malicious plans target not just one group, region or sect, but all of Lebanon and all Lebanese,” Berri said in a statement on Tuesday. “Confronting and resisting this aggression is a collective national responsibility.”

Berri paid tribute to the martyrs of the assault, including the children killed in recent Israeli strikes. He praised the resilience of residents across the south, the Bekaa Valley, Beirut, the north, and the mountains, saying their unity and solidarity embodied Lebanon’s true national character.

Recalling the destruction wrought during the Israeli campaign, Berri accused Israel of committing acts of “military and political terrorism,” including the use of internationally prohibited weapons that turned villages and farmland into “scorched earth.”

The speaker reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the cease-fire agreement of November 27, which he said Israel continues to violate by refusing to withdraw from occupied territories, release Lebanese detainees, and allow the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeepers to deploy fully to the southern border.

Berri also rejected recent remarks by a U.S. envoy criticizing the Lebanese government, army, and resistance groups, calling the comments “unacceptable in both form and substance.” He stressed that the Lebanese Army remains the nation’s primary defense force and “will never serve as a border guard for Israel.”

Finally, Berri urged the government to honor its pledge to compensate families whose homes were destroyed or damaged during the conflict, warning against political hesitation in addressing what he described as a “humanitarian and sovereign duty.”