Michel Pharaon launches initiative to disarm Beirut militias

Former Minister Michel Pharaon launched an initiative Friday to disarm militias in Beirut, ahead of a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday that will focus on restoring the state's monopoly over weapons.

The initiative is clearly aimed at Hezbollah, even though the former minister did not explicitly name the party during his press conference in Beirut.

"We are launching the 'Demilitarized Metropolitan Beirut' initiative, a move that should bring significant benefits to Lebanon, strengthen it, protect the southern suburb and ensure the security of the port and airport," Pharaon said.

"I am calling to start with the disarmament of Beirut, because of the benefits it would bring and in order to remove the capital from any risk of attack, while the disarmament of the South and Bekaa is dragging on and facing obstacles," he added.

"There is a fear of a return to war, but Lebanon has friends who help it defend its rights. The actions of the Israeli army are no longer acceptable," he continued.

Since the cease-fire decreed at the end of November, which ended more than a year of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been bombing southern Lebanon almost daily, sometimes extending its strikes to the Bekaa or Beirut's southern suburbs.

Israel claims to be targeting men or equipment belonging to Hezbollah. While Israel reproaches the party for not handing over its weapons to the Lebanese state, Hezbollah, for its part, accuses the Israeli army of failing to respect its withdrawal commitments, still occupying several strategic points in southern Lebanon.

"There will be no investment in Lebanon without guarantees in terms of security and justice. Today, we are trying to build a state according to the compass set out by the president of the republic in his inaugural address, but some parties still want to block this process," Pharaon also said.

Just days before the fifth anniversary of the deadly explosion at Beirut's port, the former minister expressed hope that the indictment set to be issued by investigative judge Tarek Bitar will soon be published. "Major obstacles still stand before Judge Bitar and we are still living under the grip of the same system," he concluded.