Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (left) with head of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil, July 4, 2025 at the Baabda presidential palace. (Credit: @LBpresidency/X)
During his visit Friday to President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil said that in exchange for Hezbollah handing over its weapons to the State, "there should be an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories, a cessation of Israeli aggressions and an end to the seizure of our natural resources, water, oil, and gas," a statement from Bassil's office noted Friday. He added, “Everyone must feel that the weapons did not go to waste, and when given to the State and the army they protect us all and defend Lebanon.”
Bassil's statement comes as the Lebanese State is attempting to regain the monopoly of arms through a dialogue led from Baabda with Hezbollah. Meanwhile, other political forces and Western powers, as well as Israel, are calling for a clear disarmament schedule, a requirement that Hezbollah continues to reject.
Bassil stressed that for the state to truly function, “there must be a sense of equality and justice, and people must see that this State is being built on the foundations they desire and feel reassured.” Bassil urged Hezbollah to "pick up on this available opportunity, so that we all feel we have won for Lebanon, and none of us is defeated, because if one side loses, we all lose.”
'Supportive stance toward the president'
Earlier Friday, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review in the wake of its devastating war with Israel, including considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming completely.
“We confirm our supportive stance toward the president and the presidency, because as the Free Patriotic Movement and as Lebanese we are committed to its success in its missions, and to having a state of law and rights, in which all citizens feel protected by a constitution.”
Addressing the Syrian and Palestinian refugee issue, he stated, “It is also natural today for Lebanon to demand the resolution of the Palestinian refugee situation and the Syrian displaced issue. If anyone claims that the Palestinian issue is tied to the larger Middle East conflict, the Syrian displaced issue is no longer connected to anything, since the war has stopped, the regime has fallen, sanctions have been lifted, and immediate, swift return must take place—this will be a national achievement.”
After the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, pressure mounted on Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return to their country. In mid-March Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji said that "the return of Syrian refugees is not only possible, it is now imperative." Following the announcement of the lifting of American sanctions by Donald Trump on May 14, the issue returned during a parliamentary session where the head of FPM, Gebran Bassil, called for passing a law imposing their return within six months, as Lebanon "has paid the price of the Syrian crises and has the right to benefit from their resolution."
As for the Palestinian refugees, Lebanese authorities agreed with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recently on the disarmament of Palestinian factions inside the camps. The process was supposed to start during the month of June but has yet to begin.
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