The Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said that the party is open to the French proposal regarding a new political contract in Lebanon, and announced the fixation of the equation “killing a soldier from the occupation army whenever Israel kills a member of the party.”
In a televised speech on the occasion of the tenth of Muharram, Nasrallah expressed his hope that the parliamentary blocs would be able to name a candidate to head the new government in the country, indicating that his party would be cooperating in this context.
He said, "We heard an invitation from the French president on his recent visit to Lebanon for a new political contract .. We are open to any meaningful discussion in this field (...) but we have a condition that this discussion and this Lebanese dialogue be with the will and consent of the various Lebanese factions."
Nasrallah did not specify what kind of changes the party intends to take into account, but he noted that "in the past few days we have heard from French official sources severe criticism of the sectarian system in Lebanon" and that "it is no longer able to solve the country's problems and respond to its needs."
It is noteworthy that there are 18 sects in Lebanon, and the seats in Parliament are divided equally between Christians and Muslims, in a unique custom in the Arab countries.
Macron, the first foreign head of state to visit Beirut after the massive explosion in the port of the capital Beirut, will return to Lebanon on Monday to continue his efforts for reforms and reconstruction.
On his first visit, two days after the explosion, Macron called on Lebanese officials accused of corruption and impotence to make a "profound change" by "assuming their responsibilities and re-establishing a new pact" with the people to restore their confidence.
The explosion inside Ward 12 - where about 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored for more than 6 years - prompted the government to resign on August 10. In conjunction with Macron's visit, parliamentary consultations are scheduled to start tomorrow to appoint a new prime minister.
Nasrallah reiterated that his party would be "cooperating" in forming a government "whose goal is reform and reconstruction," at a time when political differences have so far hindered agreement on a new prime minister.
In another context, the Secretary General of the Shiite Party said that he had decided to "fix an equation with Israel based on the resistance killing one of the occupation soldiers if Israel kills a Hezbollah member," stressing that this decision is categorical and decisive, and that the response is related to the issue of field and time.
Nasrallah condemned attempts to recognize Israel from any party issued. He said that what the UAE did was a free service to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their worst political days, as he put it.
Tensions have escalated on the Lebanese-Israeli border since Hezbollah announced the death of one of its members, in an apparent Israeli military strike in Syria last July.