The leader of the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrala, asked on Monday to allow the departure of boats with Syrian refugees from the coast of Lebanon to Europe, after the European Union announced a controversial aid package to Beirut.
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"I call for a Lebanese national position to open the sea for the voluntary departure of Syrian displaced persons to Europe (...) When a decision like this is taken, all Westerners and Europeans will come to Lebanon, and instead of paying 1 billion, (will pay) 20 billion"said the head of the resistance.
All this takes place in the context of 2 May, when the President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, announced during a visit to Beirut a package of EU aid for Lebanon worth EUR 1 billion until 2027, an amount to be shared between several development projects.
Von der Leyen explained that part of the money will be for the management of the 1.5 million Syrian refugees residing in the country, an announcement that occurred amid a sharp rise in the number of boats with members of that community arriving on the Cypriot coast from Lebanese territory.
This resulted in a controversy between different Lebanese factions, which interpreted it as a bribe from Europe to Syrian refugees.
"When we are our own owners, not slaves, and possess the elements of power, we can impose our conditions on the enemy," added the leader of Hezbollah during his intervention.
Hezbollah said that aid and money will not solve the refugee crisis, which can only be resolved after the lifting of sanctions on Damascus.