Priority is 'withdrawal of Israeli enemy, return of prisoners, and reconstruction,' Hezbollah MP says to Bassil

BEIRUT — Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, spoke Tuesday following a meeting between a Hezbollah delegation and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, where he stated that the priority is the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of Lebanese prisoners and reconstruction.

“We seek a unified and coherent official Lebanese position, holding firmly to priorities such as the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of Lebanese prisoners, and the launch of reconstruction efforts. These steps will serve as a foundation for a recovery process led by the Lebanese people themselves," Fayyad said.

The release of Lebanese prisoners captured by Israel during its latest war with Hezbollah is a key condition set by the party for discussing the future of its arsenal. 

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Villages in the South, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs were partially or fully destroyed by Israeli attacks. The World Bank estimates war-related damage in Lebanon at $11 billion, covering the period from Oct. 8, 2023, to Dec. 20, 2024, with reconstruction efforts stalled.

Israel has carried out near-daily bombardments in southern Lebanon since the implementation of a cease-fire on Nov. 27, 2024. It also attacked the southern suburbs of Beirut three times, and regularly strikes the Bekaa. Israel also still occupies five points in southern Lebanon.

'Main obstacle remains the Israeli enemy'

Fayyad emphasized: “The greatest danger Lebanon faces is the risk of transforming the conflict from a Lebanese-Israeli issue into a Lebanese-Lebanese one. The more unified the internal Lebanese stance, the better we can limit risks to the country.”

He added: “These risks are not confined to any single group or region. We recognize the situation is delicate and difficult, but Lebanon must not compromise its interests.”

Concluding his remarks, Fayyad said: “We agreed with the FPM that the opportunity to build a state exists, but the main obstacle remains the Israeli enemy and its attacks, which are obstructing Lebanon’s path toward recovery and state-building.”

Earlier, a Hezbollah delegation led by Fayyad met on Monday morning in Rabieh with former President Michel Aoun to discuss issues including the cease-fire with Israel and disarmament.

According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA) and al-Manar, Hezbollah insisted that any talks must be preceded by the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

The delegation and Aoun reviewed recent developments amid growing political divisions over Hezbollah’s arsenal. A Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Baabda aims to address this contentious issue, which has intensified the stances of various parties in recent days.

Relations between Hezbollah and the FPM — once close allies who solidified their alliance on Feb. 6, 2006 — have recently become strained.

This tension partly stems from Hezbollah’s support for a presidential bid by Sleiman Frangieh, a known rival of FPM leader Gebran Bassil, who is also Michel Aoun’s son-in-law. After more than two years of a vacant presidency, Joseph Aoun was finally elected president in January 2025.