Lebanon ex-PM doubts border truce will hold

BEIRUT: Former Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister and current Member of Parliament Ghassan Hasbani has cast serious doubt over the prospect of a comprehensive ceasefire along the volatile Israel-Lebanon border.

Speaking live from Beirut, Hasbani confirmed that threatened Israeli strikes against Hezbollah strongholds in the capital’s southern suburbs have been temporarily paused.

The diplomatic reprieve follows intensive emergency negotiations involving the Lebanese government and the United States administration.

However, the senior politician dampened international expectations for a broader resolution, indicating that any potential truce would be strictly limited to the metropolitan boundaries of Beirut. “I don’t trust any side to stop anything,” Hasbani stated, noting that local citizens have little confidence in a voluntary cessation of violence by either party.

Hasbani characterised Hezbollah as an autonomous, heavily weaponised faction operating entirely outside the administrative jurisdiction of the state, with its strategic decisions heavily directed by Tehran. He emphasised that the official Lebanese state itself is not an active participant in the war against Israel.

Instead, Hasbani explained that state is working strictly to engineer a diplomatic de-escalation to preserve the nation’s remaining infrastructure and protect civilians.

The lawmaker concluded by stating that long-term regional stability requires the central Lebanese government to re-establish total sovereign authority over its entire territory. He stressed that the state must urgently prevent non-state armed groups from operating outside government control and unilaterally instigating catastrophic cross-border conflicts.