Tripoli MP Ashraf Rifi. (Credit: NNA)
Tripoli MP Ashraf Rifi threatened to take to the streets against Hezbollah if the party decides to confront the Lebanese domestic scene, he said in remarks to MTV. "I warn Naim Qassem against a reckless choice for which he will pay the price. We will confront you in the streets if we have to defend ourselves and we are capable of doing so," Rifi said, calling to "cut ties with Iran."
Last Friday, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated warnings to the Salam government and President Joseph Aoun, stating that Hezbollah was ready for confrontation if disarmament were imposed on it. These statements prompted widespread criticism from several political officials. Softening Qassem's comments, Hezbollah’s vice president of the political council, Mahmoud Qomati, said Saturday that the party was not "in an internal Lebanese confrontation," but that "the weapons of the resistance cannot be surrendered during occupation."
The Salam government adopted at the beginning of August the roadmap proposed by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, which calls for the disarmament of armed groups — including Hezbollah — before the end of the year. The Israeli army continues to occupy five areas in southern Lebanon and carries out almost daily strikes in the country, despite the cease-fire that went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, between Hezbollah and Israel.
