During its weekly meeting, chaired by Kataeb Leader MP Samy Gemayel, the Kataeb Party's Political Bureau diligently examined the reports concerning the tragic developments unfolding in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its repercussions on southern Lebanon. Accordingly, the following statement was issued:

-The Kataeb Party considers that the continuous reliance on the rhetoric of power has yielded nothing but ruin over the past 75 years. This conflict has unleashed devastation, claimed countless lives, and instigated endless suffering throughout the entire region. The Palestinian people have been uprooted, while hollow agreements and deceitful pledges have failed to translate into tangible improvements on the ground.

-The Kataeb Party believes that the toll paid by civilians in these recurring wars is a direct consequence of the international community's failure to implement international resolutions and the lack of will to find a permanent solution to this conflict. Lebanon, since its independence, has borne the brunt of this conflict, paying the heaviest price as a result.

- The Kataeb Party considers the clashes that unfolded in South Lebanon yesterday as a threat that could plunge Lebanon into a new war, a situation that the country can't afford; serving foreign agendas and prioritizing foreign interests over Lebanese interests.

-The Kataeb Party rejects the use of Lebanese territories for any act of war and engaging in the ongoing conflict, affirming that neither Hezbollah nor any Palestinian militia [operating in Lebanon] can speak on behalf of Lebanon, whether in war or in peace, as this decision rests within the purview of the Lebanese state and all its institutions.

-The Kataeb Party warns against dragging Lebanon into the ongoing clashes in Gaza, emphasizing that Lebanon's sovereignty is a "red line" [not to be crossed by any party].

-The Kataeb Party believes that any reckless move will have consequences that Lebanon, especially in its current precarious state, where all sectors and institutions have been severely affected by the collapse, cannot afford to bear.

-The Kataeb Party calls on the international community to exert efforts with all parties involved in Gaza clashes to prevent any escalation in Lebanon.

-The Kataeb Party urges the international community to press to avoid any destabilization and to prevent the eruption of a southern front, calling on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the UNIFIL to intensify efforts to maintain calm along the Blue Line and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

-The Kataeb Party calls on the international community in this new round of conflict to prioritize the values of human rights and protect civilians.

-The Kataeb Party also urges Arab foreign ministers gathering tomorrow and countries around the world to make a bold and definitive decision, emphasizing the necessity of reaching a just solution that lifts the injustice and oppression faced by the Palestinian people.

This should be based on the Arab Peace Initiative launched at the Beirut Summit in 2002.

The initiative advocated for establishing an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the "land in exchange for peace" equation. This demand has become a rational imperative for anyone who places the interests of their country and its people above all else.