The Kataeb Political Bureau held its weekly meeting, chaired by party leader Samy Gemayel, to discuss the latest developments and issued the following statement:

1. The Political Bureau stresses that the government must not wait for the outcome of developments abroad before taking action. It, therefore, calls on the government to take the initiative immediately and implement all its decisions fully and decisively.

The bureau warns that any delay in enforcing State authority across all Lebanese territory and executing decisions to bring weapons under State control and ban the activities of armed militias would prolong Israeli occupation, expand destruction and displacement, deepen the impoverishment of the Lebanese people and accelerate the continuing wave of emigration.

2. The Political Bureau voices its support for the appeal by residents of southern villages who have remained on their land. Protecting them, upholding their right to remain in their homes and providing the conditions they need to stay are national responsibilities that rest with the State and require urgent action to turn its commitments into concrete measures.

The bureau emphasizes that helping these residents remain on their land is essential to preserving the Lebanese identity of the occupied areas in the south, as well as to rebuilding the other villages and enabling their residents to return.

3. The Political Bureau expresses concern over the continued deterioration of Lebanon’s economic and financial situation and its impact on citizens’ living conditions. It outlines the need to accelerate negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and reach a preliminary agreement, considering this as a crucial step toward restoring confidence and paving the way for international support.

The Bureau also stresses the need to swiftly approve the State budget and enact the required financial and economic reforms to end the current stalemate and put the country on a path toward recovery and economic stability, while ensuring social justice and safeguarding depositors’ rights.