Lebanon's tense Ramadan: MP Ahmad Rustom on escalating confrontations and political deadlock

Member of the National Moderation Bloc MP Ahmad Rustom, speaking to "Al-Anbaa," ruled out the possibility of reaching a truce during the month of Ramadan amidst escalating confrontations in the south between Israel and Hezbollah, with a prime minister named Benjamin Netanyahu, who is described as crazy and bloodthirsty.

This article was originally published in, translated from Lebanese online newspaper Al-Anbaa.

He expects the situation to remain tense throughout Ramadan because the prospects for a breakthrough are very dim, especially after the truce failed in Gaza and the ceasefire negotiations stalled. 

He considered that the unprecedented tension in the region from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Gaza and the West Bank and southern Lebanon indicates that comprehensive war is imminent.

Meanwhile, there are no new developments on the political front, including the presidential initiative previously launched by the National Moderation Bloc. 

Rustom discussed the Bloc's delegation meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, describing it as very good amid discussions about undermining the Bloc's initiative. 

He said, "As long as Lebanon is in a state of war, we must have a president to oversee all matters in these critical circumstances that Lebanon is going through." 

In addition, he indicated that the main points agreed upon with Berri involve the participation of two MPs from major blocs and one MP from smaller blocs in the consultative meeting, with the eldest MP chairing the meeting and the secretariat of the Parliament sending invitations for this meeting.

Rustom also mentioned that Berri promised to hold consecutive sessions to elect the president, provided they do not exceed four sessions. In this case, he must adjourn the session because repeating the electoral process would be futile. 

He revealed that the Quintet Committee endorsed the efforts of the National Moderation Bloc and saw good in them since they do not conflict with their efforts. 

They are planning a second tour away from the media, which may start during Ramadan without a specific date for the start of this tour.

On another note, with the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan, the prices of vegetables, meat, sweets, and consumer goods have jumped by 20 percent. 

They had already increased by 20 percent since the beginning of the current year due to tension in the Red Sea. 

Consequently, Lebanese citizens are facing an increase in the prices of consumer goods by over 40 percent without any improvement in their income, which does not exceed a hundred dollars per month for most Lebanese.

In this context, economic expert Anis Bou Diab revealed in an interview with "Al-Anbaa" that the prices are on fire. Since the beginning of the current year, prices have increased by 20 percent, all with flimsy excuses linked to what is happening in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. 

It is noted that most imports reach Lebanon from Turkey, but it is clear that traders control the market, expecting a price increase of up to 30 percent since mid-Ramadan and beyond.

Bou Diab pointed out that the increase in meat prices from LBP 900,000 to LBP 1.2 million and sometimes LBP 1.5 million per kilogram reflects negatively on the poor classes, adding, "It is clear that the absence of the state has allowed traders to control prices."

He said, "86 percent of citizens, according to a report from the Labor Organization, cannot meet all their living needs, and the level of poverty is worsening."

He continued: "It is clear that the economic cycle in the south is completely disrupted with the presence of a hundred thousand displaced people due to the war launched by Israel on Lebanon since October 8 last year, and the agricultural production cycle is completely disrupted."

Bou Diab also mentioned zero reservations for spending Easter and Eid al-Fitr vacations in Lebanon out of fear of a wider war, describing the situation as tragic.

Between the jaws of inflation gnawing at the pockets of the Lebanese, the security tension threatening more destruction and chaos, and the lack of credibility in promises to elect a president, the Lebanese find themselves trapped in a vicious circle, and the future has become more obscure.