Lebanon's Foreign Minister: There is no option to end the Israeli occupation except through negotiation

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At a time when the Israeli escalation continues in the south, Lebanese Foreign Minister and Expatriates Minister Joseph Raji confirmed on Sunday that Lebanon has regained its free decision and will not allow any party to negotiate on its behalf, stressing that "there is no option to end the Israeli occupation except through negotiations."

Raji said in an interview with "Al Arabiya/Al Hadath" that Lebanon "succeeded in stopping the attacks on Beirut and its suburbs through negotiations," affirming that the negotiation process is "long and complex," but his country is proceeding with it "until full sovereignty is restored."

He also added that the military solution has destroyed the south and displaced its residents, but Lebanon has chosen the path of negotiations as the way to stop the Israeli attacks and restore Lebanese lands.

Regarding the issue of weapon control, Raji stated that the decision to control weapons in the hands of the state "has nothing to do with negotiations with Israel," emphasizing that "controlling weapons is a Lebanese demand, and there is no normal state that coexists with militias."

The Lebanese Foreign Minister also considered that Hezbollah's threat of "civil war" represents "the greatest proof of the correctness of the decision to restrict arms," adding that "the hypothesis of civil war is not on the table and is no longer in the lexicon of the Lebanese." He continued: "Those who promote civil war do not want the Lebanese state to assert its sovereignty... and Hezbollah and its weapons threaten the security and sovereignty of Lebanon.",

Regarding the international force in southern Lebanon, Raji said that Beirut is seeking to deploy an international force under the umbrella of the United Nations to replace the "UNIFIL" forces.

On the relations with Iran, the Lebanese Foreign Minister stated that the Iranian ambassador "has exceeded diplomatic norms," but he also confirmed that Lebanon seeks to build diplomatic relations with all countries, "including Iran."

In March, the Lebanese authorities decided to withdraw approval for the appointment of the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, declaring him "a persona non grata" and demanding his departure from Lebanese territory, in a move that led to an unprecedented escalation in the diplomatic dispute between Beirut and Tehran.

However, last August, Sheibani submitted a request for a six-month residency as a "foreign citizen" in Lebanon, allowing him to stay in the country for six months without any diplomatic status or official powers.