Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah responded on Wednesday to recent statements made by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji concerning Hezbollah's status.
Fadlallah's Response
In remarks to a reporter, Fadlallah criticized Rajji, stating that as someone who participated in the civil war, Rajji did not distinguish between his past affiliation with the (Lebanese Forces' now-defunct) Military Council and his current role in the Council of Ministers.
Fadlallah further asserted that Rajji continued to exhibit a 'culture of war' rooted in his party. He accused Rajji's party of past actions against the national army, the state, and the Lebanese populace.
Foreign Minister Rajji's Remarks
Rajji's statements, made to The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, indicated a consensus among the Lebanese government and people that Hezbollah is an illegal military organization that requires disarmament and dismantling.
According to an English summary from the Institute, Rajji differentiated between Hezbollah's political activities, which he considered permissible, and its maintenance of illegal arms, which he deemed unacceptable.
Rajji accused Hezbollah of rejecting the terms of a 2024 ceasefire agreement that stipulated full disarmament across Lebanon. He remarked on the clarity of the agreement's texts, suggesting Hezbollah was either 'lying or doesn’t know how to read.'
He also stated that Hezbollah and Iranian leaders were threatening 'civil war' should the Lebanese Army (LAF) proceed with disarmament north of the Litani. Rajji characterized these warnings of civil war as a form of 'blackmail' aimed at allowing Hezbollah to 'buy time, reconstitute, and continue its domination of the country.'
Rajji concluded that if a democratically elected government moved to disarm an illegal armed organization, it would be restoring constitutional principles and the Taif Accord, not initiating a 'civil war.' He added that the LAF possessed the capability to confront Hezbollah militarily if necessary.