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Geagea Warns his Ministers May Quit over Lebanese Govt.’s Performance

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addresses an audience in Sydney, Australia. (NNA)
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addresses an audience in Sydney, Australia. (NNA)
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Geagea Warns his Ministers May Quit over Lebanese Govt.’s Performance

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addresses an audience in Sydney, Australia. (NNA)
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addresses an audience in Sydney, Australia. (NNA)

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea confirmed reports that ministers from his party may resign from the cabinet in protest against the government’s performance.

The LF considers the appointments and electricity files to be the most contentious issues. Geagea also renewed his objection to the March 8 camp’s ongoing push to normalize ties with the Syrian regime.

Up until this moment, the LF has not taken a final decision regarding the resignation, prompting other political parties to dismiss the warning, said a Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) source.

The LF is threat is “not serious, but it is part of pressure being exerted to deliver a political message,’ it continued.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the government situation is “solid”, saying that officials have resorted to escalating their political rhetoric to make gains ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.

The government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri was dealt a blow in September when Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil held a meeting in New York with Syrian regime FM Walid al-Muallem. The two officials were in the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Earlier this year, a number of Lebanese ministers had paid a visit to Damascus to attend the Damascus International Fair. They explained that they were making the trip on a personal basis, not an official one.

Hariri had however managed to contain any negative repercussions of these developments by coordinating and communicating with President Michel Aoun.

The fate of the government is now being questioned amid the LF claims that its ministers may resign. This is the first time that Geagea openly discussed the issue.

He was present in Melbourne, Australia where he was holding a number of political meetings.

He said: “Resignation is an option if the violations reached the extent of normalizing ties with the Syrian regime.”

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Israel Wages ‘Psychological War’ on Residents of Southern Lebanon

Lebanese inspect damage from an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. AP
Lebanese inspect damage from an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. AP
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Israel Wages ‘Psychological War’ on Residents of Southern Lebanon

Lebanese inspect damage from an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. AP
Lebanese inspect damage from an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. AP

Residents of southern Lebanon say they are living under the constant shadow of an Israeli “psychological war,” as drones hover overhead, sound bombs explode near villages, and airstrikes fuel a growing climate of fear across the border region.

While Israeli air raids and ground incursions have escalated in recent weeks, locals in towns such as Mays al-Jabal, Hula, and Kfar Kila report an additional, subtler kind of assault: one that aims not to destroy buildings, but to break spirits.

“Drones don’t leave our skies,” Mohammad, a resident of Bint Jbeil, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Explosions near homes, constant buzzing, and open threats on Israeli media – it’s designed to keep people afraid.”

The psychological toll has been mounting. Sound bombs were dropped in Hula on Wednesday, while Israeli forces crossed the border near the village of Tufa, setting fire to a truck clearing rubble.

In the town of Mansouri, a man was injured by an Israeli drone strike and hospitalized in nearby Tyre. In a separate incident, a man in his thirties was wounded by unexploded ordnance.

Israel’s tactics, residents say, aim to paralyze daily life and force displacement.

“This is more than a military campaign. It’s a war on the mind,” said former Mays al-Jabal mayor Abdel Moneim Shuqair, noting that only around 500 residents have returned to the town out of a pre-escalation population of 7,000.

Movement in the south has become increasingly perilous. Roads like the one linking Maroun al-Ras to Bint Jbeil are now considered too risky to travel.

“People avoid them because they’re completely exposed to Israeli surveillance. Any moment, a car could be targeted,” Shuqair told Asharq Al-Awsat.

On that note, Mohammed added that Israel doesn’t just want locals to leave; it wants to break their will to return.

In Kfar Kila, resident Mona Awadah described fleeing her home after it was targeted. Her husband survived the attack, but their home was no longer safe.

“We were one of the first families to return after the truce,” she said. “We put up a prefabricated home on our farmland, but even that was targeted. It’s as if they’re saying: you’re not safe anywhere – not even on your own land.”

Locals say the absence of a comprehensive state-led reconstruction plan is exacerbating their sense of abandonment. Efforts to rebuild homes or install mobile housing units have reportedly drawn further Israeli strikes. Some families have taken shelter in public schools, sleeping on makeshift bedding.

“There’s no alternative for us but this country and this army,” said Shuqair. “We need a clear stance from the state and a serious plan for a safe and dignified return,” he added.

As fear becomes routine, some residents warn of an even more dangerous development – adaptation. “The biggest danger is that people are starting to get used to the emptiness,” said Mohammad. “That’s what the occupation wants – for us to forget our land.”