Kataeb MP Samy Gemayel sounded the alarm on Thursday, stressing that the Lebanese are “no longer willing to coexist” with Hezbollah’s armed militia.
Gemayel made this statement at a press conference at the Kataeb office in Kahaleh, where a resident, Fadi Bejjani, was killed on Wednesday during clashes with armed Hezbollah members who were trying to protect a fallen truck loaded with arms and ammunition. The truck had overturned at the bend in the road in the village, which is located in Aley.
“We are approaching the point of no return. All the armed incidents taking place in different parts of Lebanon are interconnected. They are the result of the presence of illegal weapons in the hands of militias and individuals who benefit from the cover of a State whose decision-making power has been forfeited,” Gemayel said.
“If there isn’t a shift in awareness to grasp the seriousness of this situation and an accompanying radical change in behavior, we are headed toward something very serious,” Gemayel added, implicitly warning against the threat of war.
Gemayel also called on the Lebanese Army to “stop covering up the illegal transportation of arms and ammunition on Lebanese territory.”
“The Army’s first and most important goal, regardless of any orders they might receive, should be to defend and protect Lebanese citizens,” Gemayel stated, cautioning that the Army’s “line of action to protect Hezbollah’s armed militia is causing security crises in Lebanon.”
“This is our main message for today,” he added, calling on the opposition to “move on from these traditional methods of political action to another level, one that will push for the adoption of extraordinary measures.”
Gemayel also condemned recurrent celebratory gunfire in the country that recently claimed the life of a little girl in Hadath. She was hit by a stray bullet while playing in a school playground.
