Hezbollah MP says Shiite participation in Friday’s Cabinet meeting ‘uncertain’

BEIRUT — Hezbollah MP Ali Mokdad said Tuesday that ministers from Amal and Hezbollah have yet to decide whether they will attend Friday’s Cabinet meeting, where the army is set to present its plan to restore the state’s monopoly on weapons. “Deliberations are ongoing,” he added.

A crucial Cabinet meeting is set for Friday, during which the army is expected to present its plan, in line with a government decision made Aug. 5.

So far, all Hezbollah statements have opposed disarmament. In a speech Sunday, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah and head of Amal, proposed a "calm dialogue" within the framework of a "defense strategy" debate — something critics of Hezbollah and Amal absolutely refuse.

The MP, speaking to the Russian agency Ria Novosti, indicated that "Hezbollah is calling to postpone debate on all sovereignty-related issues until a defense strategy is developed."

He added, 'The ongoing talks [ahead of Friday's meeting] center on several points, including the possibility of postponing the session to allow for further internal discussions, and the possibility of revisiting the 'mistaken decisions' made during the Aug. 5 and 7 sessions" on the weapons monopoly and the approval of the objectives of an American roadmap.

"If the president and the government insist on holding the session Friday, it is necessary to discuss how it will be conducted. Will the army submit the plan to the cabinet for approval with no prior debate, or will the session be dedicated to reviewing and discussing the plan before approval?" he asked.

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Mokdad assured that contacts are ongoing and the Hezbollah and Amal alliance would have "no objection" in the case of an "acceptable and logical plan," recalling that both parties have "always advocated the adoption of a defensive strategy capable of protecting Lebanon." He reiterated that Hezbollah "does not want discord in the country and refuses to grant such satisfaction to the Israeli enemy."

The MP also specified that Hezbollah has handed over its weapons and positions south of the Litani, "as confirmed by UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army." "We have committed to implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 south of the Litani, but it is Israel that continually violates the resolution through its aggressions, with obvious American support," he continued.

Resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006 to end that year's war between Hezbollah and Israel. Among other things, it mandated the end of Hezbollah's armed presence in South Lebanon, and later served as the basis for the cease-fire agreement between the two sides in 2024.