Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah.(Credit: NNA.)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah asserted Wednesday that the Israeli army "is establishing a buffer zone along the border in South Lebanon."
Speaking in Parliament on the first anniversary of the Israeli attack on Hezbollah's beeper operatives also known as the 'pager attack', he accused the government of failing to comply with its ministerial statement and "ignoring" the reconstruction issue after the most recent devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel.
According to Fadlallah, the Israeli army "now occupies an area of 100 square kilometers of Lebanese territory. It is establishing a buffer zone in which all forms of life are prohibited, as it does in many border villages."
Fadlallah also accused the government of not having taken "any concrete action" in response to Israeli attacks. "While the enemy expands its occupation, silence essentially prevails at the official level.
The government has not used any means to liberate its territory and, at the same time, is seeking to prevent one of the most important means, namely the resistance, whose principle was approved by the Taif Agreement," he said.
Israel occupies several strategic hills in South Lebanon and carries out near-daily attacks on Lebanon, despite the November 2024 cease-fire. Lebanese authorities are calling on Hezbollah to hand over its arsenal, in line with a roadmap presented by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack.
Hezbollah refuses to comply with this demand.
Reconstruction
Addressing the question of his party’s disarmament, Fadlallah affirmed that "the resistance [of Hezbollah] has never been a militia." "The resistance was not concerned by the clause [in the Taif Agreement] relating to the withdrawal of weapons from militias, nor is it today. Its role is limited to using all necessary means to liberate the territory, as has been recognized by successive governments over the past thirty-five years."
The MP then questioned: "What means has the government used to liberate the territory and extend its authority? Has it begun to strengthen the army as promised in its ministerial statement? Is there a timeline for arming the troops so they can assume their responsibilities? And what about Lebanon’s right to defend itself?"
Fadlallah also denounced "the government’s deliberate intention to ignore the reconstruction issue, as the budget sets aside no allocations for it," and called on the executive branch to "honor its commitments in this regard during sessions discussing the general budget."
"We insist that credits be allocated, as their absence in the budget constitutes a blatant violation of the ministerial statement and a denial of the government’s national responsibility toward its people. Claiming there is no money cannot fool anyone, as the government can allocate specific funds to the extent that its budget allows and it has the necessary resources," he added.
Paying tribute to those killed and wounded in the beeper attack, Fadlallah called the Israeli operation a "crime against humanity." "
The wounded in the beeper incident, as well as the families of the fallen resistance fighters, civilians, and the injured, showed resilience and endurance, a willingness to sacrifice, and a commitment to the resistance," he said.
On Sept. 17, 2024, in the midst of war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel simultaneously detonated hundreds of Hezbollah’s beepers. The operation killed twelve and injured nearly 3,000 among Hezbollah members and their relatives.
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