Berri: Prosecuting 'Israel' for its crimes is a sovereign right of Lebanon

Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri insisted on his country's right to prosecute Israel for its crimes, considering it a sovereign right that cannot be waived, and warned of the repercussions of not renewing the mandate of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, during separate meetings with Lebanese, American, and British officials.

Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri insisted on his country's right to prosecute Israel for its crimes, considering it a sovereign right that cannot be waived in any way. Berri's statements came during three separate meetings held on Tuesday, according to a statement from his media office. Berri met with Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, who presented him with a detailed and documented report regarding what he described as crimes of the Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon. He also met with US Congress members Darin LaHood and Josh Gottheimer, stressing that the main obstacle to implementing the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon is Israel's failure to comply with the obligations of the agreements. He considered that the US administration and President Donald Trump are capable of exerting pressure to compel Israel to stop the war. In a meeting with the British Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Major General Charlie Collins, Berri described the possibility of not renewing UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon as a "sin" that can still be avoided. UNIFIL's mandate in Lebanon ends at the end of 2026, amid international discussion about the future of its presence.