Lebanon’s Geagea Voices Support for Army Commander’s Presidential Nomination

Commander of the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Lebanon’s Geagea Voices Support for Army Commander’s Presidential Nomination

Commander of the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Head of the Lebanese Forces party Samir Geagea voiced his support on Saturday for Army Commander General Joseph Aoun’s possible presidential nomination if “it turns out that his chances are high.”

He said that discussions in this regard have begun among opposition parties, noting that there are more than 30 different parties which makes the communication process time-consuming.

“He has run the military institution in a good way and has improved it and acted as a real statesman at its head,” he said in comments about the army chief Aoun.

“Despite pressures from the most senior officials, he did not accept to prevent the army from performing its missions -- mainly preserving the border and domestic security,” Geagea added.

“I don’t know what General Aoun’s chances to reach the palace are, and I hope they will be good chances, because as he succeeded in his minor role, he can also succeed in this major role,” the Lebanese Forces leader added.

“If it turns out that his chances are high, we will certainly support him,” he went on to say.

Geagea, who considered the presidential elections “pivotal,” told the Al-Markaziya news agency that only people who can save Lebanon should be elected.

The LF head stressed that the upcoming president must be a reformist, and sovereign and should believe in the republic and the constitution. He affirmed that many figures in Lebanon enjoy these qualities.

As for his own nomination, Geagea said his party and its parliamentary bloc are still studying this possibility.

In remarks about Hezbollah’s launching of drones towards Karish gas field in the Mediterranean earlier this month, Geagea said the group’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, escalated activities because US President Joe Biden was visiting the region.

"Iran wanted, through Nasrallah, to inform Biden that it is capable of deteriorating the situation through its regional arms," Geagea stated.

He also said Hezbollah wanted to emphasize it is still a “resistance” and its weapons still have a function.

Geagea further stressed that Nasrallah wanted to pre-empt the expected positive breakthrough in the US-sponsored maritime border demarcation negotiations with Israel and attribute it to his group.



Israel Vows to Prevent an Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg, Activists from Reaching Gaza

Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
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Israel Vows to Prevent an Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg, Activists from Reaching Gaza

Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli)

Israel’s defense minister has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel wouldn't allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms.

Thunberg, a climate campaigner is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, The AP news reported.

The activists had said they planned to reach Gaza’s territorial waters as early as Sunday.

Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

After a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade and the war end.

An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.