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Lebanon's Former Leaders Call for Ceasefire and Unconditional Presidential Elections

Former leaders (from left) Michel Sleiman, Amin Gemayel, and Fouad Siniora during a meeting in Bikfaya (National News Agency)
Former leaders (from left) Michel Sleiman, Amin Gemayel, and Fouad Siniora during a meeting in Bikfaya (National News Agency)
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Lebanon's Former Leaders Call for Ceasefire and Unconditional Presidential Elections

Former leaders (from left) Michel Sleiman, Amin Gemayel, and Fouad Siniora during a meeting in Bikfaya (National News Agency)
Former leaders (from left) Michel Sleiman, Amin Gemayel, and Fouad Siniora during a meeting in Bikfaya (National News Agency)

Two former Lebanese presidents and a former prime minister have called for an immediate ceasefire and the strict enforcement of UN Resolution 1701 under Lebanon’s authority as Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon.
They also urged the swift election of a new president without any conditions.
Former presidents Amin Gemayel and Michel Sleiman, along with former prime minister Fouad Siniora, met at Gemayel’s residence in Bikfaya to discuss Lebanon’s worsening situation due to the escalating Israeli offensive.
They warned that the ongoing political, economic, and social crises are deepening the country’s struggles.
The leaders praised caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati for standing up to Iranian interference and reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Five Key Steps
In a joint statement, Gemayel, Sleiman, and Siniora called for an immediate ceasefire and the strict implementation of UN Resolution 1701 under Lebanon’s full control. They urged support for efforts by Lebanese leaders and international partners to achieve this.
They also called for the presidential election process to be freed from any conditions, ensuring the new president earns the trust of Parliament and the Lebanese people.
This, they said, would help restore Lebanon’s government and reaffirm state control across the entire country, free from outside interference.
The leaders also called for the formation of a national rescue government to rebuild the state and revive the economy, including reconstructing damage from the Israeli attacks, with help from Arab and international partners.
They emphasized the need to restore full state authority over all Lebanese territory, in line with international resolutions and the Taif Agreement.
They also called for financial and economic reforms based on transparency, accountability, and good governance.
Siniora’s Comments
Siniora, who led Lebanon’s negotiations for the 2006 ceasefire and Resolution 1701, explained that the resolution requires Lebanon to enforce international decisions, including barring weapons south of the Litani River except for state forces or UNIFIL.
“Though we no longer hold official positions, our duty to Lebanon’s future drives us to push for the immediate implementation of these five steps,” Siniora said.

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EU Preparing to Appoint Envoy to Syria to Address Migration Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
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EU Preparing to Appoint Envoy to Syria to Address Migration Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)

The European Union is preparing to appoint a special envoy to Syria, with officials from the Commission and the External Relations Department emphasizing that this move is not intended to “normalize relations with the regime” but rather to address the escalating migration crisis, which is expected to become increasingly complex after recent developments in Lebanon.

Lebanon has seen nearly a quarter of its population displaced, with many of their homes destroyed in border villages and parts of Beirut due to Israeli attacks.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in coordination with her Austrian counterpart, has been active in recent months, pushing the EU toward normalizing relations with Syria to facilitate the return of refugees.

However, some member states, led by France, have strongly opposed this approach, ultimately agreeing—after extensive negotiations within the European Council—to appoint a special envoy whose mandate is limited to addressing the refugee crisis.

The issue of refugees and displaced persons was central to Meloni’s recent discussions during her regional visit, with Beirut as her final stop. There, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged her to intervene to help resolve the crisis, which poses significant challenges as winter approaches.

In July, Italy, currently holding the G7 presidency, decided to appoint an envoy to Damascus to “shed light” on Syria, as Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani put it.

Italy had withdrawn all its diplomatic staff from Damascus in 2012 and suspended its diplomatic activities in Syria in protest against the “unacceptable violence” by Bashar al-Assad’s regime against its citizens, who were holding peaceful rallies against his rule.

Earlier this summer, Italy and seven other EU countries sent a letter to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, urging a more active European role in Syria to help return a number of Syrian refugees from EU countries, particularly Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia.

The signatories called for an end to the EU’s “three no’s” policy: no lifting of sanctions, no normalization, and no reconstruction under the current regime, emphasizing that peace in Syria is impossible as long as the current government remains in power.

Reports from the EU Migration Department indicate that Syrians continue to leave their country in significant numbers due to worsening economic conditions. Many Syrian refugees in Lebanon are also joining irregular migration routes to Europe, as living conditions have deteriorated in Lebanon in recent years. Italy, Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia signed the letter.

Most of these countries have recently reopened their embassies in Damascus, with Italy the only G7 nation, to resume diplomatic activities in the Syrian capital.

Italian sources have expressed concerns that Israel’s war on Lebanon could spill over into Syria or expand regionally, potentially triggering another large-scale migration crisis that the EU may not be prepared to handle under current conditions.

However, the new European policy, spearheaded by Italy amid the ongoing regional shifts, aims for a broader objective: enhancing the EU’s presence in Syria to compete with Russia, contain the Iranian regime, which has recently faced significant setbacks, and counter Türkiye's expanding influence.

Syria has been under sanctions from the United States, the EU, and several other countries since 2011.