Jumblat says Nasrallah speech 'realistic', Gemayel sees 'nothing new'

Progressive Socialist Party former leader Walid Jumblat has described Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on the military developments in Gaza and south Lebanon as “very realistic.”

“He was very realistic in describing the plight of the Palestinian people and the Israeli occupation of the past 75 years, in addition to the situation in Gaza and the bombardment of civilians,” Jumblat said in an interview with al-Jadeed television.

“He held the United States responsible, the same as I hold it and the West responsible,” Jumblat added.

Asked about the White House’s remarks that it does not want to see the war spreading to Lebanon, the ex-PSP chief said: “They are thanked for their generosity, but let them implement a ceasefire in Gaza, end the siege and open the humiliation border crossing that is called Rafah.”

“All possibilities are on the table and we don’t know what’s in Israel’s hostile intentions,” he added.

Kataeb Party chief Sami Gemayel meanwhile said that Nasrallah’s speech did not carry “anything new.”

“The entire speech was fully expected,” Gemayel told Al-Arabiya television.

“We know that the Axis (of Defiance) has not decided to open all fronts, that’s why Hezbollah’s secretary-general distanced himself from the October 7 operation and openly said that it was carried out by Hamas,” Gemayel added.

“More and more, it was proved today that the Lebanese state is nonexistent and that the Lebanese people’s will is not taken into consideration,” Gemayel went on to say, lamenting that “the decision is exclusively in the hands of Sayyed Nasrallah.”

“He linked the fate of the Lebanese to the fate of Gaza and this is something that we reject,” the Kataeb leader added.