Markos explained that the President of the Republic renewed his condemnation of the Israeli attacks and praised the Lebanese diplomatic efforts that accompanied the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate, considering the decision a victory for Lebanon.
Minister Markos added that the army will begin implementing within the available logistical, material, and human resources, with the government’s commitment to preparing a comprehensive national security strategy, aiming to extend state authority over its entire territory and to exclusively control weaponry.
He affirmed that Lebanon has taken fundamental steps regarding the American document, while Israel has not taken any reciprocal steps, which is considered a renouncement of its commitments and poses significant risks to regional security.
Markos pointed out that Lebanon showed a serious commitment to implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement, reflecting the Lebanese state’s keenness to maintain its security and stability.
Today, Friday, the Lebanese cabinet session witnessed the withdrawal of all Shiite duo ministers: Rakan Nasreddine, Tamara Al-Zein, Mohamed Haidar, Fadi Maki, and Yassin Jaber, in protest against the government’s insistence on discussing. Last month, after a government session that lasted more than five hours, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that he had tasked the Lebanese army with developing an implementation plan to confine weapons to the state, to present it to the cabinet before the end of this month (last August), to complete the file before the end of the year.
This is the first time since the Taif Agreement and the end of the civil war that the cabinet discusses officially, after it was included within the framework of “resistance, protecting Lebanon, and deterring Israel.” The decision sparked a wide division among political circles and the Lebanese public, between supporters of the move and opponents who consider it an infringement on the role of the resistance.
