BEIRUT: Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati told Reuters on Saturday that the group considered Friday’s cabinet session on an army plan to establish a state monopoly on arms “an opportunity to return to wisdom and reason, preventing the country from slipping into the unknown.”
Lebanon’s cabinet on Friday welcomed a plan by the army that would disarm Hezbollah and said the military would begin executing it, without setting a timeframe for implementation and cautioning that the army had limited capabilities.
But it said continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon would hamper the army’s progress. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lebanese information minister Paul Morcos 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 on Friday that further implementation of a US roadmap on the matter was dependent on Israel’s commitment. He said that without Israel halting strikes and withdrawing its troops from southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s implementation of the plan should remain “suspended until further notice.”
Lebanon’s cabinet last month tasked the army with coming up with a plan that would establish a state monopoly on arms and approved a US roadmap aimed at disarming Hezbollah in exchange for a halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
Qmati said that Hezbollah “unequivocally rejected” those two decisions and expected the Lebanese government to draw up a national defense strategy.
Israel last week signaled it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon if the army took action to disarm Hezbollah. Meanwhile, it has continued its strikes, killing four people on Wednesday.
A national divide over Hezbollah’s disarmament has taken center stage in Lebanon since last year’s devastating war with Israel, which upended a power balance long dominated by the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group.
Lebanon is under pressure from the US, Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah’s domestic rivals to disarm the group. But Hezbollah has pushed back, saying it would be a serious misstep to even discuss disarmament while Israel continues its air strikes on Lebanon and occupies swathes of territory in the south.
Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem last month raised the spectre of civil war, warning the government against trying to confront the group and saying street protests were possible.
Hezbollah says Lebanon move on army plan is ‘opportunity,’ urges Israel to commit to ceasefire
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Hezbollah says Lebanon move on army plan is ‘opportunity,’ urges Israel to commit to ceasefire
- Qmati told Reuters that Hezbollah had reached its assessment based on the government’s declaration on Friday
- He said that Hezbollah “unequivocally rejected” those two decisions
Israeli strike in Lebanon kills alleged arms smugglers
- The pair were from the town of Shebaa and hit while driving on a road on the slopes of Mount Hermon
- “The terrorists were involved in smuggling weapons used by Hezbollah,” the Israeli military said
BEIRUT: An Israeli drone strike killed two Lebanese brothers in their car Saturday, according to Lebanon’s news agency, as Israel said it had hit arms smugglers from a group affiliated to Hezbollah.
The National News Agency report said the pair were from the town of Shebaa and hit while driving on a road on the slopes of Mount Hermon in southeastern Lebanon, “causing their SUV to catch fire and resulting in their deaths.”
The Israeli military confirmed that they had conducted a strike near Shebaa and killed two smugglers from the “Lebanese Resistance Brigades,” a group allied to the militant organization Hezbollah.
“The terrorists were involved in smuggling weapons used by Hezbollah and their activities constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the Israeli military said.
“The IDF (military) will continue to operate in order to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel,” it warned.
Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the death toll.
A similar Israeli strike on Saturday morning on a car near a hospital in the southern city of Bint Jbeil wounded seven people, according to the ministry.
The latest strikes came as the European Union added its voice to international concern over Israel’s continued strikes despite its year-old ceasefire with Lebanon.
“Focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far,” the European Commission’s foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.
Israel argues that Lebanon is acting too slowly to disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia and insists it has the right to carry out operations to protect its border and citizens from attack.
On Thursday it announced a series of strikes in southern Lebanon in advance, and urged civilians to evacuate the targeted areas.
