Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad. (Credit: NNA)
Ali Fayad, a Hezbollah MP, stated on Friday that his party was "open to any process of internal dialogue initiated by the Lebanese state," particularly on the issue of its weapons, which he did not explicitly mention, thanking the state for "its understanding of the importance of dialogue." Fayad was speaking at a ceremony organized by Hezbollah for one of its fighters killed in an Israeli strike, Hassan Ali Rimal, in the Bir Hassan neighborhood of the southern suburbs of Beirut.
"Hezbollah has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to international resolution 1701 and the cease-fire, despite Israel's ongoing hostilities and the fact that it continues to occupy several border positions," the MP stated, adding that the party was ready to participate in any "internal dialogue initiated by the Lebanese state to resolve outstanding issues."
Currently, Lebanese authorities are discussing the disarmament of Hezbollah, a topic that gained momentum following the war between Hezbollah and Israel from Oct. 8, 2023, to Nov. 27, 2024. Hezbollah emerged severely weakened, having lost many leaders, fighters and a large portion of its rocket arsenal.
Clear timetable, ultimatum ... parties divided on the way forward
In these negotiations, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam promised that this issue would soon be on the agenda of the Cabinet, but the parties remain divided on the way forward: the Lebanese Forces and their allies demand a clear timetable for disarmament, Samir Geagea setting a "six-month" ultimatum, while Hezbollah advocates for dialogue. On Thursday, President Aoun praised Hezbollah's "flexibility" regarding the handover of its arms and its willingness to cooperate according to a specific timetable.
Fayad praised "the deep understanding of the importance of dialogue to preserve internal stability" by the authorities while criticizing the "American positions and policies serving Israel" that threaten Lebanon, particularly following the visit of the American envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus. "Pressuring the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah, as they say, financially besieging Lebanon, withholding aid, hindering reconstruction, inventing lies about its ports' roles - the latest being accusing the port of Beirut to subject it to American security oversight – and covering up the assassinations carried out by the Israeli enemy, all pose a direct threat to Lebanon's stability," he said.
On Tuesday night, Al-Arabiya claimed that units of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were sending "weapons, equipment, and funds" to Hezbollah via the port of Beirut, an accusation that the party categorically denied, and which the Minister of Transport, Fayez Rassamny, in charge of the port, deemed "suspicious."
"What is exasperating is that the positions of some political and media entities, as well as personalities in Lebanon, align with these theses, exceeding the rules of political rivalry and legitimate disagreement to reach a state of open hostility," he stated, targeting notably the Lebanese Forces and its allies.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.