‘Lebanon is a hostage of Hezbollah arms which are preventing reconstruction:' Gemayel
The head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, MP Sami Gemayel, said that 'as long as Hezbollah insists on preserving and attempting to restore its military arsenal, Lebanon will not find relief from Israeli strikes, not even economically, because all issues are now linked to this reality.'
Gemayel added: 'I do not understand where Hezbollah, which is harming Lebanon and itself, wants to go. We are facing a new tragedy, as it is impossible for its weapons to continue as they are.' He believes that 'the country is heading towards further crises with the party's clinging to its weapons,' describing this clinging to them as a 'crime against the nation.' He emphasized that 'weapons pose an existential threat, as they prevent aid, reconstruction, ending tensions in the south, demarcating borders, and ending the state of war. They also stand in the way of equality and the establishment of the state.' He asserted that 'the time has come to turn a new page and adhere to the ceasefire agreement.' He considered that 'the party's weapons are no longer a source of strength, but rather a pretext for Israel to attack Lebanon.' He emphasized that 'the debate about its role in protecting Lebanon has ended,' adding, 'I am careful not to insult or accuse anyone of treason, and I extend my hand to the party's supporters to tell them that we are closer to them than its leaders, and that what we are proposing constitutes a guaranteeing and protective alternative.' He explained that 'reconciliation and frankness are conditional upon the surrender of weapons,' noting that 'MPs from Amal and Hezbollah welcomed his position, and that both Hassan Fadlallah and Nabih Berri described his words as constructive and worthy of further development.' He emphasized that 'there is no possibility of any reconciliation in the presence of an armed group,' and called for 'the development of a roadmap for the gradual surrender of weapons.' He emphasized that 'the starting point is the party's approval of this path.' He said, 'If the will is present, the President of the Republic will find the appropriate mechanism.' He believed that 'the President of the Republic is trying to restore state sovereignty in a positive manner and will move, based on the facts, to a different approach if his approach fails and is not met with a response.' He asserted that there will be no reconstruction or progress because Hezbollah is determined to remain within the logic of maintaining weapons that have not protected Lebanon.' He pointed out that 'Hezbollah has not been controlling UNIFIL from the beginning, and the moment the party makes the decision to disarm, we will no longer need UNIFIL or any other protection.' He emphasized that 'the decision to confiscate weapons is final, and our position has been one of extreme sovereignty and independence from 1936 to the present day, unrelated to anything else.' He added, 'Let's avoid problems and move towards something positive.' He considered that 'the government is starting from scratch, and it is not ideal, as there are those accustomed to the old regime, and there are obstructions to the reform process, and a political, financial, and economic lobby is preventing reforms that are not in its favor.' He noted that 'the government is doing everything possible to advance the issues, and there is no doubt that the issue of weapons is preventing funds.'
Regarding Syrian refugees in Lebanon, he explained that 'they are no longer refugees, but rather illegal economic migrants,' calling on the state to deport any illegal refugees.
El Nashra
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