(Credit: provided by former minister Tarek Mitri.)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister, Tarek Mitri, told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai that extending the Lebanese state's control over its territory South of the Litani river is nearing completion and progress has also been made north of the river, adding that weapons have been confiscated and warehouses have been seized in some cases in that area.
In recent months, the international community, and especially the U.S., has been calling Lebanese authorities to seize Hezbollah's weapons. The group emerged weakened from the war with Israel that started in October 2023 and escalated in September 2024, and in which much of the party's leadership was assassinated, including the former leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah insists that the cease-fire agreement terms regarding disarmament only concern the area South of the Litani River. But the text is framed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 which not only reads that there should be no armed forces other than UNIFIL and Lebanese military south of the Litani, but also calls for "full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that, [...] there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese State."
Since the cease-fire agreement came into effect, the Lebanese Army and the UNIFIL have announced progress regarding the disarmement of Hezbollah south of the Litani. The Army had previously announced it had taken bases of different Palestinian factions in the Bekaa and south of Beirut but hasn't officially communicated on Hezbollah assets north of the River.
Hezbollah's arms
In an interview with Al-Rai published on Thursday, Mitri said: "I am not a military expert, but I know, based on figures presented by the Lebanese army Commander General Rudolf Haykal in the cabinet and President Joseph Aoun's words more than once, the mission in southern Litani is being completed and is nearing completion, meaning that much has been accomplished and little remains."
Regarding the speed by which Lebanese authorities are dealing with Hezbollah's weapons, Mitri said: "I don't think it's a matter of rushing or slowing down, but rather that the concerned party, Lebanon, realizes what is possible and in what timeframe. The external parties, the United States or others, are putting pressure to make this work happen more efficiently and more quickly. But there is no doubt that outsiders do not have the data that the Lebanese army and the president have."
He added that Aoun is focused on fulfilling the commitments mentioned in his oath and the government's ministerial statement and maintaining stability in Lebanon, which he sees as his responsibility. "Hence, Aoun is conducting a dialogue to avoid a military clash in addressing the issue of Hezbollah's weapons", he said.
Regarding reconstruction, which has been a key file following the recent war which devastated large parts Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa and destroyed many buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, he said that it is to some extent related to this issue but also to other issues, such as reforms and reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"More importantly, the issue of establishing a reconstruction fund is partly related to the need for Israel to stop its aggression and withdraw from the territories it still occupies. Imagine creating a fund and allocating money to it, while Israel bombs every day and increases the cost of reconstruction."
Despite the cease-fire agreement reached in late November 2024, Israel continued its daily strikes in Southern Lebanon and still occupies five area inside Lebanese territories. Daily bombardments and gunfire have killed more than 160 people since November, according to our information.
1949 agreement
Responding to a question about normalization between Lebanon and Israel, Mitri said that Lebanon is committed to the Arab position as expressed in the Beirut Summit in 2002.
"What is possible, and we are serious about it, is a return to the Armistice Agreement (1949). Israel, which is practicing a policy of force, aggression and occupation against us, has never publicly called for a peace agreement with Lebanon."
He added that the "option of a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel is unlikely, at least in the coming years, unless things go in the direction of a Palestinian state and there is an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which would change the situation in Lebanon."
Mitri also commented on the issue of the three committees which U.S. officials want to establish for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on the latter's withdrawal from occupied positions in Southern Lebanon, the release of Lebanese detainees held in Israel and the demarcation of the land border.
"Washington wants to raise the level of the three committees to include civilian-political participation, that is, not just military technicians. We were reluctant to do so, but a compromise on this matter is still possible in the end [...] If there is an insistence on the presence of civilians to negotiate, this will be decided by the government later, but the nature of the task proposed to these committees does not require contact at a political level between Lebanon and Israel", Mitri said.
Syrian refugees
Regarding the file of Syrian refugees, Mitri said that "from day one, the government formed a ministerial committee that meets weekly", adding that the cabinet has a plan whose features are being finalized and will soon be discussed with the Syrian side, which he expects to be in "a position of facilitator."
"However, this requires efforts on more than one level, especially in light of the tragic economic conditions in Syria. There are international organizations and perhaps countries that should help Syrians returning from Lebanon inside Syria, especially since their stay in Lebanon has become more economically motivated than political, security or out of fear for themselves, as was the case during the [Assad] regime."
"Therefore, we seek to reconcile the rapid return of displaced people with efforts by Arab donors and U.N. agencies to help Syrians settle in their country, and for Lebanon to work with U.N. agencies to help them with relocation expenses."
He finally said that the "government is working on the details of the plan, with implementation and the return of a number of Syrians beginning within weeks, knowing that the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria will help in this regard."