Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi received US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea who left Bkerke without giving any statement. 

There was an emphasis on the necessity of ceasefire because Lebanon cannot bear a war, as well as the election of a president of the republic.

Shea stressed that the United States is interested in Lebanon’s stability on all levels and refuses its involvement in Gaza war.

For his part, MP Dr. Ghassan Skaf said that Bkerke would not accept the absence of Maronites from the political and military decision.

"We fear the prospect of a new Middle East arrangement without the inclusion of Christians. Therefore, it is imperative to secure the agreement of the Maronite community first, followed by the national consensus, with the military institution facing a critical juncture that could jeopardize the country's security. Hence, we must shield it from the bitterness of vacancy,” Skaf noted.