Report: March 8 Says Miqati's View on Hizbullah Drone Does Not Reflect that of Govt.

A dispute emerged on Tuesday between Prime Minister Najib Miqati and other ministers over the Hizbullah drone that was launched over Israel on October 6, reported As Safir on Wednesday.

March 8 sources told the daily that Miqati's opinion on the drone “reflects his own view and not that of the government and therefore it is not binding.”

The premier had stressed during the cabinet session on Tuesday that any retaliation to Israel's violations must enjoy “national consensus,” after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah boasted Thursday that his party had sent a drone over Israel.

“The effectiveness of any Lebanese stance or military action in the face of Israel's violations … must not happen without national consensus, in terms of both the timing and the method,” Miqati said at the beginning of a cabinet session at the Grand Serail.

Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Fneish interjected at that point, saying that the drone “was aimed at bolstering the resistance's capabilities and its deterrent power against Israel.”

“This will consequently protect Lebanon and limit Israeli violations against its national sovereignty,” he remarked.

In addition, the minister said that the incident does not violate United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour had also said on Sunday that the drone does not violate the resolution, remarks he later retracted saying he was misquoted.

An Nahar, which had published the remarks on October 14, affirmed on Wednesday his statements, rejecting the denial his press office made on Tuesday.