Maronite bishops expressed their deep sorrow for the war taking place in Gaza with its terrible tragedies and terrifying woes, saying that they had seen good in the truce that lasted for six days.

The Maronite bishops condemned the opening of new fronts in southern Lebanon by any Palestinian faction, as it is a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty as an independent state.

They reminded that the decision of war and peace should be in the hands of the Lebanese state alone due to its implications on the entire Lebanese people.

The Maronite bishops considered in a statement issued after the end of their monthly meeting, which was held in the Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke, chaired by Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, that "the Lebanese state, which has the exclusive right to make the decision of war and peace, must be complete in its constitutional institutions, and it must have an effective tool to defend the country and its people. This is the role of the Lebanese army, which should be preserved as a basic constitutional institution, and the vacuum should not be allowed to threaten the leadership positions in it. The Lebanese army must also be given all the necessary means of weapons and equipment and others so that it can perform its duty in preserving the state and society by spreading security, peace, and reassurance to all the Lebanese people."

They urgently call on the Parliament Speaker and the honorable deputies to elect a president of the state to fill the vacuum in the first seat.

They also call on the Prime Minister to condemn these violations and to urgently and decisively confront them, at all political, security, and diplomatic Arab and international levels.

The Maronite bishops wished that "the situation in the south would stabilize and peace would return to its villages located on the border strip, so that every house could live the joy of the holiday and enjoy the joy of its lights, and so that our children spread around the world could come to Lebanon and meet their families; Lebanon relies on their arrival as they are the basis and support in creating an atmosphere of economic and social stability."

On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, "the fathers pray for our beloved homeland Lebanon to enjoy peace, security, and stability, so that its entity shines anew through its adherence to its neutrality, and it moves from darkness to light away from fragmentation, hatred, resentment, and crime. May the light of Christ coming for our salvation shine in the hearts of all and in the life of everyone who struggled and struggles to preserve a free and independent homeland."