ALBAWABA - Lebanon's former foreign minister Gebran Bassil took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his refusal of Hamas' intention to create a new wing in Lebanon called "Vanguards of the Al-Aqsa Flood,".
"History should have taught us how not to become a bargaining chip in times of war when we can impose our conditions on the table in times of negotiations," Bassil said in his X post.
Citing Taif Agreement that brought an end to Lebanon's 15-year civil war and, among other measures, mandated the disarmament of Palestinian militias in the country, Bassil added: "We also consider that any armed action from Lebanese territory is an attack on national sovereignty,".
Later on Monday, Hamas released a statement announcing the establishment of the new group.
"O sons of our people, you young people and heroic men, join the vanguard of the resistance, and participate in shaping the future of your people, and in liberating Jerusalem and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque," Hamas said in the statement.
Hamas called on "Palestinian youth to join" the new group, "emphasizing the role of the Palestinian people, wherever they are, in resisting the occupation by all available and legitimate means".
Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ahmed Abdulhadi, told AlJazeera: "There is no need to worry about this framework, because it will not harm Lebanon and will not bring any negative impact on the Palestinian people, and it will be useful to serve the Palestinian people and discharge the energies of young people and their talents and sow love for Palestine in them".
Responding to the former minister's statement, the head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit Avichay Adraee said in a post on his official X account that Bassil was "too late".
He also called on Bassil to demand that Hezbollah, too, surrender its weapons in line with the 1989 Taif Agreement. The agreement has brought an end to Lebanon's 15-year civil war and, among other measures, mandated the disarmament of Palestinian militias in the country.
