Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that the United States had informed him of Israel’s plan to withdraw from Lebanese villages it still occupies on February 18, while maintaining a presence in five locations.

Speaking to journalists in Ain Al-Tineh, Berri firmly rejected any partial withdrawal, conveying Lebanon’s stance on behalf of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

“It is the Americans’ responsibility to ensure a full withdrawal. Otherwise, they will have caused the government’s biggest setback,” he warned. “I am not confident that a full withdrawal will happen. If Israel fails to withdraw as per the U.S.-mediated agreement, it would constitute a breach of the deal.”

He added that U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus had recently discussed the matter with him.

“I told her that the most important issue for Lebanon is Israel’s withdrawal. She assured me that she would raise the matter with Israeli officials. This withdrawal must take place unconditionally on February 18. The agreement is clear—an immediate ceasefire, Israel’s withdrawal, and the deployment of the Lebanese army after the retreat, with Hezbollah pulling back north of the Litani.”

Berri warned that failure to implement the agreement could provoke resistance.

“The southerners will not abandon their homes and land if Israel does not withdraw; they will resist,” he said. “The Americans must enforce this withdrawal to give Lebanon’s government a chance to succeed.”

He also expressed concerns about the situation on Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria.

“What’s happening there is more than just clashes between armed groups and local tribes. I fear an attempt to revive an old plan—stationing an international force along the border.”

Berri reiterated that the Lebanese army was fulfilling its duties south of the Litani River, while the situation north of the Litani was a matter for the Lebanese themselves to address through a national dialogue on defense strategy.

The speaker expressed satisfaction with the formation of a new government but stated that he would wait for its ministerial statement before scheduling a confidence vote in parliament.

“Nothing has been pre-agreed except for the priority of national interests,” he said, emphasizing that the government’s primary focus must be on reforms, particularly addressing bank deposits.

Unlike previous administrations, the new cabinet would not be granted the traditional 100-day grace period, Berri asserted.

“I won’t even give it a single day. There is no grace period, no time to waste. It must start working immediately. It must succeed, and we must help it succeed.”

Addressing concerns over the resistance clause in the ministerial statement, Berri dismissed speculation about the removal of the “Army-People-Resistance” trilogy.

“There is no problem. There is the right to self-defense, and international conventions affirm this right. Those stirring controversy about this matter are fighting windmills. The phrase ‘Army-People-Resistance’ has never been explicitly included in any ministerial statement. What has always been stated is the Lebanese people’s right to resist occupation, defend their land, and liberate it.”

Berri also raised concerns over the composition of the new cabinet, particularly the allocation of Christian representation.

“It seems Christian representation relies solely on two parties—the Lebanese Forces, which secured four ministers they did not even nominate, and the Kataeb Party, which got one. The irony is that the other seven Christian ministers were divided between the President and the Prime Minister, who also monopolized all Sunni seats.”

He further criticized the exclusion of key political blocs, including the Marada Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement, and the National Moderation Bloc.

“They could have been included,” he said.

Turning his attention to Lebanon’s electoral law, Berri stressed the need for amendments ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.

“The current electoral law cannot remain as it is. It must either be changed or at least amended by adding a second preferential vote to eliminate sectarian and confessional-based voting.”

Despite concerns over Israeli withdrawal and government composition, Berri remained optimistic about political stability. He stated that there was no longer a blocking third in the government.

“There is no blocking third anymore. It was a product of Lebanon’s sharp divisions in the past. But those divisions no longer exist. We are in a phase of national recovery,” he emphasized.