Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, surrounded by deputies from his parliamentary bloc, shakes hands with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Aug. 22, 2025, at the Grand Serail in Beirut. (Credit: National News Agency)
Following a meeting with the prime minister at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea said Friday that "everyone must comply" with the decisions of Nawaf Salam’s government regarding the monopoly the Lebanese state must exercise over weapons.
In this context, he denounced the criticism directed at President Joseph Aoun and the prime minister since the authorities decided to begin disarming militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah and Palestinian factions.
"Everyone must comply with the Lebanese government's decision regarding the monopoly over arms. However, this decision is currently being applied only partially," said the LF leader, who was accompanied by members of his parliamentary bloc. "Everyone agrees that Palestinian arms should be handed over to the army, and the government has launched this operation. So why are some people opposing it?" he added.
He also praised the government's "bold decisions" under Salam, which have "put Lebanon back on the right track." "Before this, for 40 years, we lived in a semblance of a state, a state that had no say and was therefore very weakened. With these decisions [by the government], every Lebanese has started to feel the presence of a real state," he said.
In early August, the cabinet adopted the objectives of the "American road map," which includes, among other things, the disarmament of militias in Lebanon and the monopoly of Lebanese authorities over arms. On Thursday, the army began disarming Palestinian factions in the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut, dominated by Fatah. But disarmament in other camps may be more difficult without Hamas’ agreement. Hezbollah, for its part, continues to refuse to hand over its weapons to authorities and has even repeatedly threatened to take to the streets.
Jaafarite Mufti Ahmad Qabalan on Friday called the beginning of the disarmament of Palestinian camps a "scandal," denouncing a "shameful act that clearly targets the weapons of the resistance, even though this resistance has been Lebanon’s greatest guarantor for more than half a century."
'Attacking the prime minister is unacceptable'
"We are here today to say that a real state has started to take shape. But some are still trying to obstruct this project, at times attacking the president, at other times the prime minister. This is unacceptable and, in the end, those who try to block this progress will be the losers, because it will move forward," Geagea stated.
He also called on Salam’s detractors to use democratic institutions if they wish. "Those who consider the prime minister a traitor can withdraw their confidence in him in Parliament ... Our system is a parliamentary democracy. Let them call for an extraordinary parliamentary session to discuss the issue of arms. We are ready for that, but attacking the prime minister day and night is unacceptable," he added.
Accused of serving "Israeli-Saudi" interests or even called a "Zionist" by the pro-Hezbollah press, Salam is being targeted by a campaign led by the party after his government committed to disarming the militias. He is, however, strongly supported by opponents of the pro-Iranian bloc. Aoun, for his part, is not currently facing such harsh criticism despite his attachment to the arms monopoly, as Hezbollah is trying to maintain good relations with the head of state.
Last Friday, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem increased his threats, saying his group was ready for confrontation if disarmament was imposed and accusing the Salam government of serving Israel's interests. These remarks prompted widespread criticism from several political officials.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
