The Executive Council of the Maronite League issued the following statement:

"The Executive Council of the Maronite League strongly condemns and denounces the incident in the town of Kahaleh on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, due to the overturning of a truck belonging to Hezbollah with its military cargo. This incident resulted in the death of a resident named Fadi Bejjani by the gunfire of the accompanying elements of the truck.

Furthermore, the former official of the Lebanese Forces party in the southern town of Ain Ebel, Elias Hasrouni, was also killed. These incidents are indications of leading the country towards turmoil, reminiscent of the precursors to events in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These events led to a 15-year war in Lebanon, and its people paid a high price across all fronts.

The provocative actions of those accompanying the truck, marked by tension, reflect the disregard for the state's sovereignty and the dignity of the people. They believe they have the right to bypass the state's authority, intimidate people, and transport weapons and ammunition as they see fit without the state using all its means to fulfill its responsibilities.

The occurrences in Kahaleh and Ain Ebel place civil peace on the edge, and the specter of an explosion looms like a thunderbolt, making it difficult to anticipate the possible catastrophic consequences.

If the Lebanese army is expected to play its role in inspecting the contents and destination of the truck, and if the security and judicial authorities are expected to unveil the truth behind the assassination of Hasrouni, then all political parties are called upon to assume their responsibilities in these critical circumstances.

They should initiate the election of a new President for the Republic as soon as possible to restore the functioning of the state. This begins with discussing defense strategy, a duty of existence, as continuing with the logic of two states and two armies under various names is unacceptable. This is done to preserve civil peace, unified living, and justice if we consider Lebanon sovereign and independent, with its people united by the spirit of citizenship and belonging to one nation.

As the Maronite League offers condolences to the families of the two martyrs, Fadi Bejjani and Elias Hasrouni, it calls for revealing their murderers and identifying the group they belong to. It emphasizes that if Wednesday was a dark day for Kahaleh and Ain Ebel, it is undoubtedly a dark day for Lebanon and all those who contributed to it.

What they carried out deserves comprehensive condemnation, serving no interest for any party, especially those who delude themselves that they can impose their will through dominance and influence."