BEIRUT: Both the Lebanese government and parliament reject a U.S. plan for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Wednesday. The first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to revive the peace process calls for a $50 billion investment fund to boost the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies.

The $6 billion set aside for Lebanon has been widely seen in the country as incentive to accept the permanent settlement of Palestinians who have lived with the Lebanese citizens as refugees since the creation of Israel in 1948. All the main Lebanese parties oppose the permanent settlement of Palestinians, largely for fear of disturbing the sectarian balance between Christians and Muslims.

“The government with parliament are against this deal and our constitution bans naturalization,” Prime Minister Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, said. (Agencies)