Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi
Saad Hariri reemerged among his supporters, although he has not fully engaged in political activities.
However, he sent a message to his supporters, urging them to convey to everyone, "You have returned to the scene, and without you, nothing progresses in the country."
Amid the commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and his companions on February 14, 2005, people gathered at Martyrs' Square in central Beirut.
Supporters of the Future Movement expressed their strong desire for Saad Hariri's return to political action. Hariri's son, accompanied by his aunt, laid a wreath of flowers at his father's tomb and recited Al-Fatihah.
Chants honoring Saad Hariri accompanied his every move as he toured downtown Beirut. He responded to greetings with a stroll in the rain, where he shook hands with many of his supporters and urged them to safeguard the country.
After returning to Beit Al Wasat, Hariri addressed another crowd of supporters gathered in the inner courtyard, reiterating chants. He approached the stage and addressed the people, saying, "Saad Hariri does not abandon the people."
Among the notable figures present at the tomb was Nader Hariri, the former director of Prime Minister Hariri's office, and his advisor, former Minister Bassem Sabeh. Nader Hariri was asked whether he would stand by Saad Hariri if he returned to political life, to which he replied, "I'm out of this matter."
On January 24, 2022, Saad Hariri suspended his political activities, citing the circumstances that led him to do so. He expressed his conviction that there is no room for any positive opportunity for Lebanon amidst Iranian influence, international turmoil, national division, sectarian borrowing, and state erosion.
Despite the evolving geopolitical complexities and the recent Saudi-Iranian rapprochement, Hariri's reasons for his hiatus remain unchanged.