Berri questions Lebanon’s interest in refusing dialogue

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has declared that there will be no retreat from presidential consultations. In comments published Monday by Asharq Al-Awsat, Berri emphasized that these consultations are essential to resolving the presidential deadlock, accusing certain parties of hindering the election process.

Berri has advocated for dialogue as the solution to the impasse, insisting that it is the only way to resolve the presidential crisis. However, the Lebanese Forces party opposes a dialogue chaired by Berri, arguing that a president should be elected by parliament without prior consultations.

“How does Lebanon benefit from rejecting dialogue that could lead to a consensus on a presidential candidate, especially given the political divisions and the escalating tensions in the south?” Berri questioned.

The Speaker expressed his approval of a French-American statement calling for de-escalation in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, allied with Hamas, has been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces over the past eight months, following the October 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group that initiated the Gaza war.

Recent weeks have seen an intensification of these deadly clashes, resulting in multiple brush fires along both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border and increasing concerns that the conflict could expand.

Over the course of more than eight months of border violence, 458 people in Lebanon have been killed, mostly fighters but also around 90 civilians. On the Israeli side, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been reported dead according to the army.