Exclusive, “Akhbar al-Yawm” agency

Do mediators interfere?

The position of the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, regarding the refusal to connect the squares in relation to the Gaza-South war, may be called more than one characterization: "awakening", "putting an end with Hezbollah", "maneuver" or something else…

But it is certain that the talk of President Michel Aoun and, before him, MP Bassil about this file and expressing an opinion is a message to the ally with whom, no matter how they disagree, they find a way to restore the relationship, as happened several previous times.

Has the rupture already occurred? What is the new strategy adopted by the Free Patriotic Movement?

It is not possible to say for sure that the relationship between Hezbollah and the FPM has reached a dead end, because the history of this relationship since the Mar Mikhael agreement in 2006 has gone through ups and downs. It should be noted here that the two teams benefited from the political and electoral alliance, and did not want to abandon each other, but the issue of trust was shaken, according to some interpretations.

From here, Opposition Parliamentary sources believe, via "Akhbar al-Yawm" agency, that what President Aoun and MP Bassil said about the developments of the South is surprising, especially that it came at a late time, which necessitates asking why they have been waiting until now to talk about this file. Thus, there is a message that they wanted to convey to the close ally, a message of displeasure or resentment at the approach of the files or to convince them that it is impossible not to take into account the cry of the so southern border people.

Sources point out that no matter how different the reasons, the two men said what they had after the FPM acknowledged the impurities in the Mar Mikhael agreement.

These sources also point out that communication between the party and the FPM in the recent period has become almost non-existent for a reason related to the decision of Hezbollah regarding the presidency and the delivery of its candidate to Baabda.

The same sources say: if there are repeated positions of the former president of the Republic and the head of the Strong Lebanon bloc on the situation in the south, this requires a careful stop, and this does not mean somewhere that the relationship between the opposition and the FPM will improve. The intersection on the presidential candidate (former Minister Jihad Azour) may remain, and it does not make sense to talk now about an understanding between the two teams knowing that it constitutes a deterrent to Hezbollah's domination if it is serious and consistent.

Once again, there is disagreement between the FPM and the party, without any certainty whether it is developing in the present and in the future into a rupture or whether it is subject to arrangement after looking more broadly at the interests that connect them.