BEIRUT - Leader of Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, has set an ultimatum for the disarmament of Hezbollah, stating that the party should hand over its arsenal to the state within six months, dismissing any prospect of achieving this goal through 'a dialogue around a national defense strategy.'

During an interview on MTV's show 'Sar al-Wa'et' ('It's time,' in Arabic), the Christian leader indicated that 'the effective deadline for handing over the weapons is six months, no more. Even the transfer of Hezbollah's arsenal to Tehran would not require more time (....)' He then stated that 'the idea of a dialogue around the implementation of a national defense strategy is outdated. What is now needed is the establishment of an immediate timetable.' This demand has been reiterated for several days by those close to the LF, notably within the government of Nawaf Salam, as the issue of the Shiite formation's arsenal is debated in Lebanon.

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"It is up to the Lebanese army to formulate the national defense strategy," added Geagea. This strategy should, according to him, "be developed by the military institution, then submitted to the Council of Ministers to be debated and adopted - not discussed around a dialogue table."

The heresy of a distinction between north and south of the Litani

The LF leader again insisted on the implementation of all international U.N. resolutions, particularly resolutions 1701 and 1559, in a context where pressures to go in this direction are mounting both inside and outside Lebanon. Resolution 1701, adopted by the Security Council to end the war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, formed the basis of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Nov.r 27, 2024, to end the fighting between the two belligerents. The text, among other things, refers to resolution 1559, stipulating the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, notably Hezbollah.

On this subject, Geagea argued that there should be no difference in treatment between the areas north and south of the Litani, a river that demarcates the border area that should, according to the ceasefire agreement, be evacuated by Hezbollah. "There is no north and south of the Litani, this heresy has ended," he said.

'No threat of civil war' in Lebanon

The Christian leader also dismissed the risk of a civil war due to pressures exerted on Hezbollah, claiming he has "never heard Hezbollah party officials make such threats.'" According to him, Hezbollah seeks above all to maintain its arsenal. "No one in Lebanon wants a civil war, and I see no actor capable of triggering one," he said.

LF's second-in-command Georges Adwan had threatened Wednesday with a withdrawal of the LF deputies' confidence in the government due to a disagreement following remarks by Culture Minister Salame, close to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah. Geagea, for his part, chose appeasement. "With all due respect to Ghassan Salameh, I do not support his approach to the arms issue. He is at a loss on this issue, which tolerates neither debate nor procrastination," he said. However, he considered that it was "too early" to discuss the resignation of the Lebanese Forces