Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed in an interview with Al Diyar that “the door to a settlement is still open, stressing that he is ready to find ways out if the other party is also ready. He said: “If there is a readiness for a settlement, then I am ready for it, and no one wants the country to reach a dead end.” Berri reiterated his position opposing direct negotiations from the beginning, saying that he was aware of where they would lead, and that they had led to an agreement that he described as an agreement of sedition and that it was bad and unfair to Lebanon. He pointed out that the agreement he sponsored on November 27, 2024 represented a different model, as it led to Hezbollah’s complete withdrawal from southern Litani without resorting to direct negotiations. Berri revealed that before reaching the framework agreement, there was contact with the President of the Republic, where he requested the adoption of the principle of Israeli withdrawal according to the districts, not according to the experimental areas, considering that this option provided a clearer and more serious mechanism for implementation. Berri added that Baabda agreed to this proposal, but they were later surprised that the framework agreement adopted the principle of experimental areas instead of the principle of districts. Berri explained that there is preparation for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the south of the Litani in conjunction with a complete Israeli withdrawal. As for weapons north of the Litani, he stressed that the position is based on containing weapons within the framework of the Lebanese state, not only in north of the Litani, but in all of Lebanon, so that it will be the only reference state. Berri stressed that Israel seeks, through its pressure and demands, to drag the Lebanese army into clashes with the resistance, considering that this is the real goal it is working on. However, he stressed that this will not happen, because the Lebanese realize the danger of being drawn into internal strife, and because the army and resistance will not be pushed to serve Israeli goals. Regarding the framework agreement, Berri said that when he read it, he considered it a “sedition agreement,” and therefore he quickly expressed his position rejecting the country’s slide into division, stressing: “No to sedition, no to the street.” He stressed that the priority remains protecting internal stability and preventing the spread of political disagreement to the street, as this is the first line of defense for civil peace. Regarding his message to the President of the Republic, he simply said that he does not currently have any message to send. Regarding ways out of the crisis, Berri renewed his vision that Lebanon needs an international umbrella to help achieve the settlement, considering that this umbrella must include the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, because they constitute, in his opinion, the basic guarantee for any viable settlement. Regarding the ongoing Arab and international contacts, especially the Egyptian and Qatari ones, Berri welcomed all initiatives that help Lebanon overcome its ordeal, stressing that any Arab or international effort aimed at bringing the Lebanese together and banishing the specter of division is welcome.