Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki. (Courtesy of Hoda Chedid/L'Orient Today)
Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary-general of the Arab League, on Saturday announced that the league no longer classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Zaki's statement came during a televised interview with Al Qahera News channel following his visit to Beirut late last week.
Zaki clarified that earlier resolutions by the league had labeled Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, leading it to halt communications with the group. However, he explained that member states have now agreed to drop this label, enabling dialogue with Hezbollah.
"The Arab League does not maintain official terrorist lists, and our efforts do not include labeling entities as terrorist organizations," Zaki stated.
Notably, the league had declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization in March 2016, a decision that Lebanon and Iraq opposed. The Arab League had at the time called on Hezbollah to cease promoting extremism and sectarianism, stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs and refrain from supporting terrorism in the region.
In a related development, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on Friday that Zaki's visit to Beirut included a meeting with the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammed Raad. This meeting was the first of its kind in over a decade.
During his visit, Zaki also met with several Lebanese officials, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, according to the Arab League. The talks centered on reducing tensions with Israel in southern Lebanon and addressing the 19-month-long presidential vacancy in Lebanon.
These events are unfolding amid heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Both sides have been involved in daily cross-border attacks.
Hezbollah has conditioned the cessation of hostilities on the end of Israel's war on Gaza.