March 14 Delegation in Gaza as Soaid Rejects 'Monopolizing' Solidarity with Palestinians

A delegation from the March 14 opposition alliance visited the Gaza Strip on Tuesday as a show of support to the Palestinian people following the latest Israeli aggression on the territory.

Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra, and al-Mustaqbal bloc deputies Jamal al-Jarrah and Amine Wehbe along with nine journalists arrived to Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

"We are here to show solidarity with the people of Gaza who are facing Israeli atrocities,” al-Jarrah told LBCI TV channel.

"Through our visit we want to say that we reject Israel's assaults and its violations of human rights,” MP Zahra added.

The delegation examined the destruction that resulted from the latest Israeli attacks on the district, and later visited “Arafat's Military City” and the headquarter of the Palestinian Legislative Council where they were greeted by Deputy Speaker Ahmad Baher. The last stop was at the Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniya's house, who welcomed the delegation's visit, expressing that it strengthens Lebanese-Palestinian relations, LBCI reported.

Meanwhile, March 14 General-Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soaid said in remarks to As Safir and al-Joumhouria newspapers, and LBCI TV, that the “one-day visit is aimed at (announcing our) solidarity with the Palestinian people and sending a political message that defending major causes is not the monopoly of any Lebanese or Islamic party.”

“The party that claims to be more patriotic than the other team will find out from the structure of the March 14” delegation to Gaza that the entire opposition shows solidarity with the Palestinian people, he said in reference to Hizbullah, which supports the Palestinian cause.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced on Sunday that Gaza militants had won "a clear victory" against Israel with their rocket bombardment.

But Soaid stressed that “Hizbullah should make recalculations and stop making treason accusations."

An eight-day Israeli offensive against Gaza ended with a truce last week after more than 166 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds others were injured.

But the conflict marked the first use by Palestinian factions of a long ranged Iranian-made rocket, the Fajr-5. It triggered air raid warnings in the heartland cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which have not experienced any sustained missile attack since Iraqi Scuds were fired in the 1991 Gulf War.

Soaid said the opposition represents the “conscience of Lebanese patriotism” that fits with the “nationalistic spirit of the Palestinians.”

“The March 14 presence in Gaza is a clear message that Arab support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people has no boundaries,” Soaid added.