Amal Movement 'stands behind the Lebanese state, the government and the army'

BEIRUT — The Amal Movement commemorated the anniversary of the Qana Massacre on Saturday in the village of Qana, located in the Sour district.

In 1996, the Israeli army shelled a UN compound in Qana, killing 106 civilians who had sought refuge there. The attack occurred during Operation Grapes of Wrath, a conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, while southern Lebanon was under Israeli occupation.

During the commemoration, Amal’s organizational official for the Jabal Amel region, Engineer Ali Ismail, emphasized standing behind the state, government, and army.

“This is an opportunity for state institutions to fulfill their duty and pressure the Israeli enemy to withdraw from our land, which we will not allow to remain under occupation,” he said.

He stressed that the Amal Movement is not an alternative to the state, adding that when the movement’s former leader, Moussa Sadr, established Amal, it was due to the “state’s failure to defend its people, the soil of Lebanon, and its south, and to carry out its duties to the fullest.”

“Since the state announced its readiness to fulfill its duty, we are waiting for the state and its institutions to do so,” he added.

This speech was delivered amid ongoing political discussions in Lebanon, with Hezbollah’s arsenal being a key topic. President Joseph Aoun pledged to ensure that only the state holds a monopoly on weapons and affirmed that a “decision has been made” to that effect.

Across the political spectrum, the Lebanese Forces are calling for the “disarmament” of the party, with a specific and swift timetable, while Hezbollah rejects any disarmament. However, as its leader Naim Qassem stated in a speech on Friday evening, the group is ready to engage in dialogue on a “comprehensive national defense strategy” once Israel ceases its violations of the cease-fire agreed upon at the end of November.

Although Israel was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by Feb. 18, as per the cease-fire agreement signed between the two countries in late November and extended in January, the Israeli army remains present at five strategic points in southern Lebanon and continues to bomb houses and cars in the area almost every day.