Several Lebanese officials criticized on Monday comments delivered by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during his visit to Lebanon last weekend when he announced that his organization has missiles capable of striking the city of Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial and cultural center, and areas beyond it.
“Haniyeh’s visit comes as part of political propaganda planned by forces of the resistance axis to prove their presence in Lebanon,” Mustafa Alloush, former MP and leading official at the Mustaqbal Movement told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He said: “There are some parties that planned the visit to send a message to the inside and outside: If you tighten the noose on us, we will find a way out from somewhere else.”
Alloush said Haniyeh’s comments violated Lebanon’s sovereignty, adding that he was not surprised to see no official statements condemning the Hamas leader’s threats, “because the issue is related to Hezbollah.”
During a visit to Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp in the southern port city of Sidon, Haniyeh said, “Our missiles had a range of several kilometers (miles) from the border with Gaza.”
For his part, member of the Strong Republic (Lebanese Forces) parliamentary bloc, MP Wehbe Katisha also denounced the fact that Haniyeh threatened Israel from Lebanon.
“Did we go back to the year 1969 with plans to open a new road to Palestine passing through another Lebanon’s Jounieh (in reference to a popular PLO slogan that said "the road through Jerusalem leads through Jounieh,” a northern, coastal Lebanese city),” the MP wrote on his Twitter account.
Also, resigned MP Nadim Gemayel (Phalange Party) wrote Monday, “Lebanon is not a podium from which positions are announced, one day to express support for Syria, another day for Iran, and another for Palestine.”
Haniyeh had arrived in Beirut last Tuesday, in his first visit to Lebanon in 27 years. The Hamas leader met with Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker PM Hassan Diab, director-general of the Security General, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, and the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian.
He also met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt.
