Bassil walks fine line between supporting, opposing Hezbollah strikes on Israel

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil is walking a fine line between supporting and opposing the ongoing war in Lebanon's south.

"The Lebanese have the right to defend their country but Palestinians do not have the right to defend Palestine from Lebanon [...] and self-defense is a legitimate right but the decision to attack requires a united Lebanese stance," Bassil said in a televised interview.

"I support the unity of the Lebanese arena, [...] but the decision of war was not taken by Lebanon, neither by Hezbollah," he added. "A Palestinian faction took the decision of war, and I am against Hezbollah's decision to follow them."

"We support war if it will return the Shebaa Farms to Lebanon and secures offshore oil and gas exploration," Bassil explained. "But why are we linking Lebanon's fate to Gaza?"he asked. "Is Hamas linking its fate to Lebanon?"

Bassil went on to say that he understands that Hezbollah was pre-empting a possible Israeli attack and that he is convinced that the group, unlike Israel, does not want a war, but warned the group against letting Israel drag the country into a war. "We shouldn't give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a chance to destroy everything," he said.

Hezbollah has targeted Israeli positions across the border almost daily since an October 7 attack by its Palestinian ally Hamas triggered war with Israel. Israeli forces have responded with strikes against Hezbollah positions as well as targeted operations against senior officials.

The border clashes since October have killed at least 303 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but including 50 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed according to the Israeli army.