Written by Were Kelly
A senior Hezbollah official on Saturday characterized the Lebanese cabinet’s recent session on a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms as an “opportunity to return to wisdom,” signaling the group’s firm rejection of any move to disarm it while Israeli military operations continue.
Mahmoud Qmati’s comments to Reuters came a day after Lebanon’s cabinet welcomed a plan by the army to disarm Hezbollah and said the military would begin executing it, though it set no timeframe and cautioned that its capabilities were limited.
The cabinet also stated that continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon would hamper the army’s progress. Information Minister Paul Morcos, speaking after the meeting, stopped short of saying the cabinet had formally approved the plan.
Qmati told Reuters that Hezbollah had reached its assessment based on the government’s declaration that further implementation of a U.S. roadmap on the matter was dependent on Israel’s commitment. He stated that without Israel halting its strikes and withdrawing troops from southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s implementation of the plan should remain “suspended until further notice.”
The issue of disarming Hezbollah has taken center stage in Lebanese politics since last year’s devastating war with Israel. Last month, the cabinet tasked the army with creating a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms and approved a U.S. roadmap that proposed disarming Hezbollah in exchange for a halt to Israeli military operations.
Qmati said that Hezbollah “unequivocally rejected” those two decisions and expected the government to instead draw up a comprehensive national defense strategy.
The group’s position highlights a deep national divide. Lebanon is under significant pressure from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Hezbollah’s domestic rivals to disarm the powerful Iran-backed Shi’ite Muslim group. However, Hezbollah has consistently pushed back, arguing it would be a serious misstep to discuss disarmament while Israel continues its air strikes and occupies territory in the south.
The group’s Secretary General, Naim Qassem, last month raised the spectre of civil war, warning the government against trying to confront the group and hinting at the possibility of street protests.
The standoff continues as Israel signaled last week it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon only if the Lebanese army took action to disarm Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have persisted, killing four people in Lebanon as recently as Wednesday
SOURCE: REUTERS
