Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel said that the Kataeb bloc attendance in yesterday's parliamentary session was aimed at shedding light on the true nature of the problem, saying that the resulting recommendations were essentially meaningless.

He stressed that the required action is straightforward and clear, with consensus on it, saying that there is a political decision preventing its implementation.

“This decision was made by Hezbollah due to its control over the government it formed, obstructing any proposed solutions. This is because Hezbollah aims to leverage the crisis in Lebanon to exert pressure toward Syria's liberation from the isolation imposed on it. It is pressing Europe and the West to surrender to lift sanctions off Bashar al-Assad, hence using Lebanon and the Lebanese people, including the Syrian community in Lebanon, as bargaining chips to serve its interests and those of Syria and Iran,” Gemayel said in an interview with LBCI.

He considered that the Syrians present in Lebanon were hostages to the decisions of Hezbollah and Bashar al-Assad.

“As for the required measures, We, as the Kataeb Party, presented policy solutions addressing the Syrian presence in Lebanon during a conference held at the Kataeb Headquarters in Saifi 7 months ago. These solutions were later affirmed by the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament and a significant number of parties, including the Prime Minister himself who endorsed part of them during a press conference with the European Commission. Therefore, the solutions are clear, and it suffices to enforce the law to solve the problem, but the Prime Minister is forbidden from implementing them,” he stated.

In response to a question about Gemayel's insistence on the unconstitutionality of legislation in Parliament in the absence of a president, despite the Constitutional Council's contrary decision, he stated: "The presence of the President of the Republic in the Lebanese political system is key to all institutional operations. Starting with the election of a president and the appointment of a new prime minister. The President of the Republic signs all laws and has the right to veto them. This is the basis of legislative work.”

“Therefore, we cannot normalize unconstitutional and unrealistic practices, hence working outside the framework of the constitution and logic," he added.

"The President of the Republic negotiates on behalf of Lebanon, not the Prime Minister, and what is happening today in negotiations with external parties is an encroachment on the powers of the President," he pointed out.

Gemayel also noted that there is an agreement to run the country without a president and to be managed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

“We did not understand how these recommendations were issued, on what basis, who wrote them, and where they were discussed. We did not participate, and many blocs were not invited to this meeting. We did not comprehend the criteria for this meeting and its attendance, especially since entire blocs representing a significant portion of the council did not participate. Additionally, we did not receive any invitation to this meeting,” he affirmed.

“Separately from the invitations, any recommendations issued by the Parliament must be discussed in a session that did not occur. Moreover, preparatory committees do not have the authority to make decisions for the Parliament. The decision-maker is the Public Authority, which did not discuss the recommendations in its latest meeting,” he added.

“The Parliament now operates as if someone wants to decide for all Lebanese, holding formal sessions and ultimately passing whatever it desires,” he said.

He emphasized that the Kataeb bloc did not vote on the recommendations of the Parliament approved in yesterday’s session regarding the displacement file as it was against it.

Gemayel explained that Hezbollah exerts control over unauthorized border crossings, yet there lacks the determination to secure the borders with Syria, despite its feasibility and the army's capability to do so.

“Our country is under domination, and our decisions are occupied by Hezbollah, which holds Lebanon hostage to decisions of peace and war. The biggest example of this is the failure of the state, government, and parliament to convene to discuss war and peace in the south while we are in a state of war, with Lebanese people dying in the south and villages being destroyed,” he pointed out.

“Officials do not have the right to convene a meeting to discuss what is happening inside their own country while war is ongoing. The country is occupied, and the country's decisions are kidnapped,” he went on to say.

Gemayel reminded that Hezbollah defends Gaza, not Lebanon.

“It opened the "Support Front" to stand alongside Gaza and implicated Lebanon in a prolonged war serving others. This is what it is doing with the Syrian refugee crisis—entangling Lebanon, Shia, Sunni, Christian, and Druze communities in a problem to serve the Syrian regime, as Hezbollah’s priority is not Lebanon but serving the broader system and is willing to sacrifice Lebanon's future,” Gemayel emphasized.

He called for the return of Syrians to their homeland, saying: “Just as tens of thousands of Syrians leave and enter their homeland, we can send every illegal Syrian back to Syria, which is compelled to receive them.”

“Either Bachar Al-Assad is preventing Syrians from returning to their country, which is unrealistic, or we do not want to solve the problem to keep it lingering in Lebanon to blackmail the West. Otherwise, what prevents the Lebanese army, General Security, and Internal Security Forces, who have the names of all illegal Syrian refugees, from deporting them at checkpoints across the border?” he asked.

“What prevents the return of Syrians is that Hezbollah leaves the borders open, and anyone deported may return, meaning the problem lies with Hezbollah,” he affirmed.

The Kataeb leader believed that the deportation process would not happen as long as Hezbollah decided to blackmail the West, Americans, and Europeans by lifting the siege on Bashar al-Assad.

He explained that anyone who entered Lebanon illegally and did not pass through General Security is illegal, equivalent to 80% of refugees in Lebanon.

He insisted that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should provide aid to Syrians to encourage them to return to their country.

“But if it does not, should we give up? If it does not do so, then we will deport them ourselves,” he stressed.

"What I cannot understand is what prevents the deportation of Syrians from Lebanon, and until now, I do not have an answer. What is preventing the army, General Security, and Internal Security Forces from deporting Syrians? The real answer is a lack of political will,” Gemayel asserted.

"They can escape from the truth by delving into details, amendments, shifting blame, and responsibilities, but it is clear,” he added.

He reiterated that Bashar al-Assad and his ally Hezbollah do not want the refugees to return to Syria, and they are willing to undermine the interests of their people and countries to serve a regional project that Lebanon has no connection to.

“We are facing a conspiracy by Hezbollah and its allies to destroy Lebanon. Europe acts in its interest, and we must stand against it and refuse to pay any dollar for refugees in Lebanon. It is our responsibility as those who did not send them to Syria, and not to blame anyone else. We must do two things: first, stop aid to Syrians in Lebanon, and at the same time, send them to Syria,” he stated.

Gemayel reminded that the government is a government of resistance, and its decisions are made by the head of the resistance, namely Hezbollah, which controls it.

“If it intends to return the Syrians to Syria, it must make the decision and start implementing it with the available resources, and then no illegal Syrian will remain in Lebanon,” he said.

In response to a question about negotiating with Sleiman Frangieh, if the balance of power in the region is not in Lebanon's favor, he said, "Your statement assumes a reality where Hezbollah controls the country and insists on Frangieh, and you must negotiate with him based on his program. However, Frangieh is not an evil person; he comes from a clear political family and is honest with himself and his adversaries.”

"Frangieh is not the official spokesperson for himself, but he is convinced of the resistance option. If he reaches the presidency, the axis of resistance will prevail in his presidential actions. That's why I say it's not about personalities but about the political program. If the issue of sovereignty is not resolved, none of the other issues will be,” Gemayel explained.

“We are in a state of political resilience to prevent Hezbollah from controlling the presidency for the next six years. When Hezbollah realizes that it cannot impose its candidate on the Lebanese people and accepts a candidate acceptable to all, someone who can unite the country and gain the confidence of its people, then we will be able to elect a president within 48 hours,” Gemayel concluded.