Lebanese Speaker Berri: No Expanded Negotiations Framework, No Normalization with Israel
Sources say Berri stands firm on national principles: full Israeli withdrawal, end to attacks, border demarcation, and prisoners’ return
Lebanon, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Sources close to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed Tuesday that he remains unwavering in his rejection of any attempt to expand the framework of direct negotiations with the Israeli occupation, stressing that no committee other than the existing “Mechanism” is authorized to handle talks.
The sources, speaking to Al-Binaa daily, emphasized that the Mechanism committee is exclusively tasked with military, security, and technical matters—nothing beyond that.
Berri Reaffirms Lebanon’s Non-Negotiable Principles
According to the same sources, Speaker Berri reiterated Lebanon’s fixed national principles in any negotiation process:
Full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories
Immediate cessation of Israeli attacks
Clear and complete demarcation of borders
Return of Lebanese prisoners
“Any deviation of the negotiations from this path will be met with the appropriate response, for every incident has its own context,” the sources quoted Berri as saying, in a veiled warning that Lebanon will not tolerate political maneuvering or pressure to dilute its rights.
No Normalization in Any Form
The sources stressed firmly to Al-Binaa: “There is absolutely no room for any form of normalization with the Israeli enemy.”
This stance aligns with Berri’s long-held position that resistance, sovereignty, and national dignity cannot be compromised—especially amid ongoing Israeli aggression in south Lebanon.
Briefing to the UN Security Council Delegation
Al-Binaa reported that Speaker Berri briefed the visiting UN Security Council delegation last week on the situation in southern Lebanon in light of continued Israeli attacks.
During the meeting, Berri made clear:
Lebanon has fully implemented its obligations under the 2024 ceasefire agreement.
Israel has violated every commitment without exception.
The briefing underscored the asymmetry of compliance and the ongoing impunity enjoyed by the Israeli occupation—backed politically and militarily by the United States.
The Lebanese daily also learned that Speaker Berri continues to refuse a meeting with former ambassador Simon Karam, who recently joined the technical ceasefire meetings—an indication of Berri’s heightened caution toward figures perceived as aligned with Western or pro-normalization agendas.
Berri’s position signals that Lebanon’s negotiation framework will remain tightly controlled, resistant to foreign pressure, and aligned with the country’s sovereignty and resistance doctrine.
With Israeli violations ongoing and Washington providing unconditional cover, Beirut appears determined not to give an inch outside the agreed-upon mechanisms—nor to allow any political breakthrough that could undermine Lebanon’s resistance posture in the face of continued aggression. (PW)