Bassil calls on Hezbollah to 'hand over its weapons to the state'

BEIRUT — The head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, called Friday night on Hezbollah, his former ally, to "engage in the state-building project and hand over its weapons to the state," stating that he acts in "the interest of Lebanon."

In an interview with the local channel LBCI, the deputy and son-in-law of the former head of state, Michel Aoun, considered that since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, "a process of limiting weapons and handing them over to the state should have begun." However, "this serious process of handing over weapons has never really started," he claims.

These statements come as the Lebanese state is attempting to regain the monopoly of arms through a dialogue led from Baabda with the Shiite militia. Meanwhile, other political forces are calling for a clear disarmament schedule — a requirement that the pro-Iranian group continues to reject.

"When President Joseph Aoun took charge of the issue of handing over weapons, he could not change anything. There was no serious dialogue" with Hezbollah, Bassil further denounced. "All Lebanese have paid the price for the presence of the party's weapons. That's why these weapons must benefit the Lebanese state and not Iran. The dialogue must be decisive and not just a means to buy time," he continued, insisting that "the state must take advantage of Hezbollah's weapons instead of destroying them."

Emerging very weakened from the war that lasted for more than a year with Israel, after the opening of a support front in South Lebanon, Hezbollah remains reluctant to any discussion about its arsenal. This while the ministerial declaration committed to fighting all illegal weapons, including those in Palestinian camps, and guaranteeing legal forces the monopoly on the use of force.

The truce between the two belligerents, which came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, to end more than a year of war, notably provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the occupied villages in South Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy in areas formerly under the militia party's influence. However, the Israeli army still maintains five positions that it considers strategic. For its part, Hezbollah argues that the ceasefire provisions regarding disarmament only concern the area south of the Litani River.

Bassil discussed the "12-day war" between Tehran and Tel Aviv and Hezbollah's non-involvement, an ally of Iran, a scenario long dreaded by the majority of parties and Lebanese opinion. "Iran managed to defend itself without resorting to Hezbollah. Proof that the latter's weapons cannot deter Israel, neither internally nor regionally. It is therefore necessary that the defense mission returns to the Lebanese state," he added.

Finally, the head of the FPM sharply criticized the government of Nawaf Salam, which his party is not part of, accusing it of inaction: "It has no will for reform. No reformist bill has been adopted since 2019, except for the lifting of banking secrecy — and again, it is only thanks to external pressure that it was voted in its current form," he concluded.