BEIRUT: Military and security forces carried out raids in the Zuqaq al-Blat area of Beirut on Saturday morning in search of armed men who had joined a rally on Friday commemorating Ashura, a military source reported.
The raid was “in search of armed individuals, with the aim of identifying them and taking appropriate measures,” the source said.
Video footage of the event showing young masked men dressed in black, holding machine guns and chanting religious and partisan slogans as they marched through a Beirut street, has drawn nationwide condemnation.
The images emerged amid mounting international pressure on Hezbollah to disarm in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and UN Resolution 1701, and ahead of US envoy Thomas Barrack’s visit to Beirut on Monday to receive Lebanon’s response to Washington’s disarmament proposal.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam swiftly denounced what he described as “the armed shows that took place in Beirut,” and called them “unacceptable in any way and under any pretext.”
Salam asked Minister of Interior Ahmad al-Hajjar and Minister of Justice Adel Nassar to “take all necessary measures to enforce applicable laws and to arrest the perpetrators and refer them for investigation.”
Al-Hajjar responded by forwarding video footage of the incident to the heads of General Security and the Internal Security Forces, requesting that those involved be identified and appropriate action taken in coordination with the judiciary. Meanwhile, Nassar said he had contacted Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal Hajjar requesting that he take immediate legal action against all those who participated in the armed parade.
According to Nassar’s office, Hajjar later notified him that he had begun issuing summonses in connection with the case.
The incident raised concerns over public safety and the state’s ability to enforce its authority, as Lebanon works to implement a lasting ceasefire in its ongoing conflict with Israel.
No such armed parades have been seen in the Lebanese capital since the violent clashes between Hezbollah and sovereign political forces on May 7, 2008.
Beirut MP Ibrahim Mneimneh condemned the incident as “unjustified behavior” and called such parades “a weapon for bullying and intimidating people, keeping the city captive to the proliferation of weapons, which we will not accept under any pretext.”
He added: “If the goal is to emphasize a commitment to armed presence, it regrettably reflects a failure to grasp the political reality and holds no significance in the streets of Beirut. More than ever, Beirut is in urgent need of security and the withdrawal of illegal weapons.”
His fellow MP Fouad Makhzoumi echoed his words, saying: “The proliferation of weapons and holding them in the streets of Beirut is categorically unacceptable. The time of intimidation through force has passed. The security and dignity of the people of Beirut is a red line that cannot be violated.”
MP Ashraf Rifi called the display of weapons in Beirut “an act of arrogance toward the state, Beirut residents, and all Lebanese,” and called on officials to take action because the state’s “prestige is at stake.”
MP Sami Gemayel also denounced the act.
“If heavy weapons threaten Lebanon’s political and regional security, then light weapons pose an even greater danger to the nation’s state-building efforts,” he said. “We envision a Lebanon free of weapons across every region. Only the army and legitimate security forces have the right to bear arms.”
The joint committee that comprises representatives from the offices of the presidency, the government and the parliament — formed to draft a response to the US proposal concerning the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, specifically the disarmament of Hezbollah forces north and south of the Litani River — is currently awaiting Hezbollah’s response on that matter ahead of the US envoy’s arrival on Monday.
In a statement on social media on Saturday, Barrack — who is expected to meet with several Lebanese officials during his time in Beirut — said: “Lebanon’s hope awakens! The opportunity is now. This is a historic moment to supersede the strained confessionalism of the past and finally fulfill Lebanon’s true promise of the hope of ‘One country, one people, one army.’
Citing US President Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again,” Barrack added: “Lebanon is a great place, with great people. Let’s ‘Make Lebanon Great Again.’”
Reports on Hezbollah’s position regarding disarmament have varied. Some sources claim that the party has confirmed to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri its commitment to fully implementing the ceasefire agreement and said there is no need for a new agreement.
“Hezbollah calls on Israel to fully implement the resolution, and it is ready to discuss the issue of its weapons within the framework of a defense strategy or through internal dialogue,” sources said.
However, Berri’s office said meetings are “still ongoing, and no final position has been reached yet.”
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem reaffirmed the party’s commitment to retaining its weapons in a speech on Friday night.
“We are resisting the Israeli occupation, and it must be resisted. Since when does defense require permission? Only when alternative defense strategies are presented will we engage in detailed discussions with those claiming they can defend the country. We are close, not far, from dialogue,” he said.
“No one is asking us to stop resisting, but rather for the occupation to end. It is not the people who must surrender,” he added. “If some believe they can assert dominance over Lebanese citizens, they are mistaken. The people of the resistance do not fear their enemies.”
Meanwhile, Israel continued to violate the ceasefire agreement, targeting Hezbollah sites and supporters in Lebanon.
On Saturday morning, an Israeli drone targeted a car in the town of Shakra in Bint Jbeil. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the strike “seriously injured two individuals, who were later admitted to intensive care.”
An Israeli drone also targeted a vehicle in nearby Saf al-Hawa, killing one person and injuring two others, while another strike hit an unoccupied house in the border town of Shebaa, wounding a civilian identified as Mohammed Bassam Dalla.
