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Jebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, is delicately navigating his position on the conflict in southern Lebanon, advocating for a balanced approach.
In a television interview, Bassil highlighted that while Lebanese citizens have the right to defend their nation, Palestinians should not use Lebanon as a base to defend Palestine. He emphasized that self-defense is justified, but any decision to initiate conflict should reflect a consensus among the Lebanese people.
Bassil expressed his support for Lebanese unity and clarified that Lebanon and Hezbollah did not choose to engage in the conflict; instead, it was initiated by a Palestinian group. He criticized Hezbollah’s decision to join the conflict on the side of the Palestinians.
He stated his conditional support for the conflict if it could lead to the recovery of Shebaa Farms and facilitate offshore oil and gas exploration for Lebanon. However, Bassil questioned the rationale behind tying Lebanon’s destiny to Gaza’s situation and whether Hamas was similarly linking its fate to Lebanon’s.
Bassil acknowledged Hezbollah’s attempts to preempt an Israeli assault and believes that Hezbollah, unlike Israel, is not seeking war. Yet, he cautioned Hezbollah against allowing Israel to entangle Lebanon in further conflict, specifically pointing out the risk of giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to cause widespread destruction.
Since an attack on October 7 by Hamas, a Palestinian ally of Hezbollah, initiated the conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has frequently targeted Israeli positions. In retaliation, Israeli forces have launched attacks against Hezbollah and carried out targeted strikes on its high-ranking officials.
The ongoing clashes along the border since October have resulted in at least 303 deaths in Lebanon, including both Hezbollah combatants and 50 civilians. On the Israeli side, the conflict has claimed the lives of 10 soldiers and seven civilians, as reported by the Israeli military.
