The Saydet al-Jabal Gathering called for direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, urging President Joseph Aoun to personally lead talks to address outstanding issues, including Israel’s withdrawal from five disputed points and the return of prisoners. The group said such a step could move Lebanon from war toward peace and allow it to participate in the region’s broader path of change and development.
In a statement following its weekly meeting in Ashrafieh on Monday, held both in person and online, the gathering also emphasized the need for Lebanese authorities to take decisive action to remove all illegal weapons across the country. It described the recent government decision to confine arms to state authorities as “historic,” adding that full implementation would restore Lebanon’s sovereignty for the first time since the 1969 Cairo Agreement.
“The implementation has been delayed, and claims that Hezbollah or Iran might respond with civil war are baseless,” the statement said. “The overwhelming majority of Lebanese, across all communities, support restoring legitimate authority and stability. Enforcing the arms monopoly is the country’s only opportunity to return to functioning as a normal state.”
The group warned that failure to act would leave Lebanon facing “a future of wars and instability.”
The statement also highlighted regional developments, including Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s second visit to the United States in two months and Syria’s commencement of oil exports to Italy via the port of Tartus. It cited Egypt’s opening of a 500,000-square-meter National Museum in Cairo as a symbol of cultural leadership and described the Arabian Gulf as a growing hub of global development.
The gathering additionally referenced the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Conference held on October 13, where Arab and Islamic world leaders announced their withdrawal from military conflict with Israel, underscoring the regional momentum for dialogue and stability.
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