Israeli military vehicles drive past destruction in southern Lebanon, seen from northern Israel, after a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, on Jan. 26, 2025. (Credit: Gil Eliyahu/Reuters)
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s speech Sunday drew sharp criticism from MPs, particularly regarding reconstruction efforts and the party's responsibility for the destruction and loss of thousands of lives in its war with Israel.
"Sheikh Naim Qassem said that rebuilding what was destroyed [by the Israeli army] is solely the responsibility of the state. We remind him that defending Lebanon, liberating its land, and possessing and using weapons for this purpose are also exclusively the state’s responsibility," Beirut Lebanese Forces MP Ghassan Hasbani wrote on X.
In his speech, Qassem called on Lebanese authorities to take a "firm and decisive" stance demanding a "full withdrawal" of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon by Feb. 18, the latest deadline for the cease-fire implementation period. He also argued that "the state must lead reconstruction efforts" since "what Israel destroyed, it destroyed in the Lebanese state."
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel wrote on X that "reconstruction is the responsibility of those who usurped the state’s sovereignty and dragged the country into wars serving a foreign agenda." He added: "The state provides compensation when it decides on war or peace, but those who launch wars under the illusion of destroying Israel — without considering the consequences — bear full responsibility."
‘You caused these disasters…'
Beirut Change MP Waddah Sadek for his part accused Hezbollah of treating Lebanese "as if they have no memory."
"When Hezbollah dragged us into the war of resistance, then into a broader war that killed thousands, destroyed dozens of villages, and caused billions of dollars in losses, it was not only without the Lebanese state's or army’s approval — it openly boasted that it did not need the state to shelter the displaced or rebuild," Sadek said.
"When the party unilaterally negotiated with the so-called ‘big brother’ [Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri] and imposed a disgraceful agreement on the state, the government and army were the last to know," he added.
"Now, after the disasters it inflicted on Lebanon and its people, Hezbollah wants to shift responsibility to the state for the Israeli withdrawal — even though it was the party’s unilateral decision to go to war, its military illusions, and its political miscalculations that led to the reoccupation of southern villages. Its own leaders have admitted as much several times," Sadek continued.
