Lebanon PM: Only armed forces should defend the country
On February 25th, Lebanon’s new prime minister read out his government policy statement, emphasising that the country’s defence in the event of war should solely be the responsibility of its armed forces, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
Nawaf Salam was appointed in January to form a new government following a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which resulted in more than 4,000 deaths and extensive destruction.
For the past decades, Hezbollah has retained its weapons, arguing that they are essential for Lebanon’s defence against Israel.
However, many in Lebanon have been urging the group to disarm, with such demands growing louder during the most recent war, which came to an end when a US-brokered ceasefire took effect on November 27th.
Salam said that the government affirms Lebanon’s right to self-defence in the face of “aggression” and that only the state is entitled to possess weapons.
He also emphasised that any efforts to reclaim land occupied by Israel would be carried out “through its forces only.”
Lebanon’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji reinforced this stance, stating that the government seeks a “monopoly of force” within the state, signalling an intent to disarm Hezbollah.
The parliament had convened to debate the policy statement before proceeding with a vote of confidence.
Asharq AL-Awsat
