"This operation should be conducted under UN patronage and supported by coordinated with the Lebanese and Syrian armies. Our troops will escort refugee convoys to the border where they will be greeted by Syrians who will guide them to their new homes," he said.
Kabbani also added that Lebanon needs to resolve this issue as soon as possible as the country now finds itself unable to accommodate so many refugees any longer. Furthermore, there are no programs aimed at integrating Syrian refugees into Lebanese society due to the fact that there are so many of them, approximately 1.5 million at the last count.
Meanwhile, Lebanese political analyst and writer Gorge Alam pointed out that the Syrian refugees issue can be resolved if Lebanese politicians actually manage to overcome their differences and join forces.
"There’s no unity in the Lebanese government regarding negotiations with the Syrian government. If Hezbollah begins negotiating with the Syrians, this initiative would immediately be boycotted by the Future Movement which has close ties with Saudi Arabia. And that means that this issue will remain unresolved," Alam explained.
Earlier, Naim Kassem, deputy secretary general of Hezbollah, declared that the Lebanese government should coordinate its efforts with Damascus in order to help facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to the safe areas of Syria.
"Some 30,000 square kilometers of Syrian Desert – a swath of territory three times the size of Lebanon — along with several villages have been liberated in the past month. This is a significant achievement which, with additional effort, may help Syrian refugees return to their home country," he stated.
