
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel at a partisan meeting in Bikfaya, Jan. 23, 2024. (Credit: Kataeb Website)
The leader of the Kataeb Party, Maronite leader Samy Gemayel, called on Wednesday evening for the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which stipulates the disarmament of militias in Lebanon, deeming it "necessary to save" the country. In an interview on the Lebanese channel LBCI, he added that a new president must be elected — a position vacant for more than a year and a half — so that Lebanon "is represented at the negotiation table" regarding a resolution in South Lebanon.
So far, the official Lebanese position has been to push for the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 to resolve the current tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. The resolution, adopted to end the July 2006 war, stipulates that only the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) should be deployed in the South — calling on Israeli forces and militias, including Hezbollah, to establish a demilitarized zone along the Blue Line.
However, Resolution 1559, adopted on Sept. 2, 2004, calls for the disarmament and dissolution of all militias including Hezbollah, and the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, referring at the time to Syrian troops in the area and the Israeli army in southern Lebanese territories — which remain occupied by the latter until today.
UN Resolution 1701 'serves Israel's interests'
"Resolution 1559 sums up everything needed to save Lebanon," Gemayel said in a televised interview with LBCI, insisting that it is "fundamental because it affirms Lebanon's right to have weapons solely in the hands of the army and ensures the disarmament of militias." According to him, if it is not respected, "the lives of the Lebanese will remain suspended forever." Gemayel believes that 1559 "suits Lebanon," while 1701, which also calls for disarmament yet is not focused on it, "serves Israel's interests."
He stressed that Tel Aviv "has managed to place its interests at the top of the West's priorities," and that the Lebanese "must be represented at the negotiation table" for a resolution in the South. However, to ensure representation, a head of state must be elected, he explained.
Article 52 of the Constitution stipulates that the president of the Republic "negotiates treaties and ratifies them in agreement with the head of government."
"The presence of a president would place Lebanon at the negotiation table to guarantee its interests, and that is why Hezbollah does not want a president, to avoid having a partner in the talks," said Gemayel.
A 'propaganda campaign' for Iran
Expressing his "great sympathy for the Palestinians, who are victims of injustice and have the right to an independent and secure state," Gemayel criticized Hezbollah's initiation of a "support front" for Gaza on Oct. 8 — when the group began its attacks on Israel.
"This shows that its goal is not to defend Gaza or the Palestinians, but to promote the "resistance' project," he stated. He compared Hezbollah's fighting in South Lebanon to a "large propaganda campaign costing the lives of hundreds of Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese so that Iran can present itself as a defender of the Arabs in Gaza."
According to L'Orient Today's count, 365 Hezbollah members have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria since the fighting began.
"If Hezbollah's goal was to liberate Palestine, why did it not enter northern Israel on Oct. 7, when the situation was favorable?" insisted Gemayel, comparing the party to "Hitler, who succeeded with the logic of force, but became a shameful stain in history."
Opposition coalition "without a leader"
Gemayel also called for a broader "coalition" of opposition in Lebanon against Hezbollah, for which the Kataeb is working to convince some hesitant MPs.
On Monday, a press conference brought together MPs from Gemayel's party with representatives of the Lebanese Forces and independents to demand the declaration of a state of emergency in South Lebanon and a parliamentary session on the conflict.
The opposition should be "united, without a leader, and represent all communities and all those who reject Hezbollah's dominance over the decision-making process," according to Gemayel. He further believes that Hezbollah "does not want an escalation of the war and... is betting that Israel does not want war."