Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel strongly condemned the killing of 23-year-old Elio Abu Hanna, saying the incident represents an attack on Lebanon’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens.

“A Lebanese youth was killed in his own homeland by a non-Lebanese weapon,” Gemayel wrote on X. “Such a crime is not an isolated incident, but an affront to Lebanon’s sovereignty and the lives of its people. Anyone who justifies the presence of weapons outside the State is complicit in this crime. Sovereignty cannot be fragmented, and without it, there is no nation.”

Abu Hanna, a chemistry graduate from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, was shot while driving near the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut over the weekend.

Gemayel concluded his statement by offering condolences to the victim’s family and friends, writing: “Our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Elio Abu Hanna.”