BEIRUT: Lebanon’s weekly cabinet meeting got underway Thursday, overshadowed by the Israel's deadly airstrike on a Hezbollah convoy in Syria’s Golan Heights and the impact the group's retialtion might have on Lebanon's stability.
Ministerial sources told The Daily Star the attack in Qunaitra, which killed six Hezbollah fighters and an Iranian commander, and the implications on Lebanon will be discussed outside the regular agenda, as ministers from the March 14 coalition are expected to reaffirm Lebanon’s commitment to U.N. Resolution 1701 which had ceased hostilities between Lebanon and Israel in August 2006.
Hezbollah’s ministers Mohammad Fneish and Hussein Hajj Hasan refused to comment when asked about a possible Hezbollah retaliation to the attack, preferring to keep their remarks until after the meeting.
But Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk, who is critical of Hezbollah, stressed as he walked into the meeting that: “We are attached to Resolution 1701... We cannot place the country on the edge.”
Communication Minister Boutros Harb also commented on the subject, saying: “We cannot but discuss the aggression on Qunaitra, and we have no information about how Hezbollah would likely respond.”
But Harb, a March 14 minister, stressed that Lebanon “should not be drawn into the repercussions resulting from the involvement of others in foreign lands," in a clear allusion to Hezbollah and Iran’s role in Syria.
“I believe that we will succeed in preventing any consequences of the Qunaitra attack on the Lebanese Army, because all are careful and cautious and the region cannot take anymore (incidents),” Harb added.
Hezbollah has remained tightlipped on possible responses to the deadly attack. Party chief Hasan Nasrallah, who was reportedly supposed to address supporters earlier this week in a speech, has so far failed to do so in a move apparently designed to keep the Israelis at bay.
Iran has vowed to respond to the attack after the strike killed senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ali Allahdadi.
A Lebanese security source told The Daily Star that two Syrian fighters affiliated with Hezbollah also died in the strike.
In addition to the regular items on its agenda, the Cabinet is expected to follow up on the issue of the captive servicemen in the hands of ISIS and the Nusra Front, and the security plan for the northern Bekaa, which is aimed at rounding up outlaws, fugitive criminals and terror suspects hiding in the area.
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