Rajji: Lebanon demands exclusive state control of weapons

L'Orient-Le Jour

03-05-2025

The state monopoly on arms "is a demand of the Lebanese people and it serves their interests," said Foreign Minister Joe Rajji in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Okaz, published Friday.
"Lebanon is working to extend its sovereignty over the entire territory and to eliminate any armed organization outside the control of the state," he assured.
The minister continued: "It is no longer possible to tolerate the existence of any party outside the framework of the legitimate state, engaged in military or security actions [on their own]. This applies to all organizations, groups, cells, etc., Lebanese or otherwise. The presence of weapons in the [Palestinian] camps cannot be justified by resistance to Israel or the liberation of Jerusalem."
The Lebanese foreign minister refers to the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah and the state monopoly on arms, which has become pressing since the last war with Israel (2023-2024). The disarmament does not only concern Hezbollah but also extends to the much older issue of weapons in Palestinian camps, also been beyond the control of the Lebanese state for decades.
However, in his remarks, Rajji acknowledged that there are differences between Palestinian weapons in the camps and those of Hezbollah. "Lebanon supports all Arab causes, notably the right of Palestinians to return home, but they are refugees on Lebanese territory and this does not give them the right to bear arms and interfere in Lebanese affairs," he stressed, emphasizing that "we will not allow the events of 1975 to reoccur," referring to the start of the Lebanese Civil War. This long 15-year conflict began following incidents between Palestinian factions and Lebanese parties.
Still on the Palestinian question, Rajji confirmed that there is an agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA, Fateh) on the monopoly of arms, but the problem remains with Hamas. "We discover networks linked to this party every now and then, with elements recently arrested for launching rockets on Israel from Lebanon," he said. However, he placed the "unconditional" withdrawal of Israelis from positions their army still occupies on the territory, as well as the delimitation of borders with the two neighbors and the return of Syrian refugees to their country, as absolute Lebanese priorities.
"Peace and serenity" in the Syrian presidential palace
The minister was asked about the relationship between the local government and the new regime in Damascus. He insisted on the respect of the sovereignty of the two countries and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, emphasizing the importance of internal Syrian stability.
On a more personal level, he affirmed having felt "peace and serenity" upon entering the Syrian presidential palace, considering that "Lebanon has been relieved of a great burden," in reference to the fallen regime of Bashar al-Assad (overthrown in December 2024), while advocating "pragmatic relations with the Syrian neighbor." The foreign minister had accompanied Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during his visit to Damascus on April 15.
Concerning the relationship with the Gulf countries, very disrupted during the previous mandate, Rajji emphasized that "some mistakes" were made, but that a "new stage is opening with the new mandate, which has been felt by Saudi authorities."
President Joseph Aoun has already visited Saudi Arabia in March, Qatar in April, and has just completed a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He addressed the question of restoring relations between Lebanon and the Gulf monarchies in all these visits.
Lebanon's foreign relations with many Gulf countries deteriorated following hostile statements, among other things, from figures in the March 8 camp in Lebanon, which includes Hezbollah.
During the interview, Rajji paid tribute to Saudi Arabia "which has always stood by Lebanon" and whose role "is essential for the stability of Lebanon and the region."
Boulos: A principle enshrined by the cease-fire agreement
The state monopoly on arms, and consequently the disarmament of Lebanese and Palestinian militias, was also enshrined by the cease-fire agreement that entered into force in November 2024, which ended the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This was stated on Friday by Massaad Boulos, advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump on Middle East affairs, in an interview with the Qatari pan-Arab channel al-Jazeera.
"The importance of this cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel lies in the fact that it enshrined the principle of state monopoly on arms and paved the way for the Lebanese army to conduct its operations across the territory, and not just south of the Litani," he assured.
The cease-fire agreement is based on the content of U.N. resolution 1701, which ended a previous conflict, that of 2006. The question of whether Hezbollah's disarmament and the dismantling of its military infrastructure should be limited to south of the Litani or extend to the entire territory divides Lebanese authorities and the international community on the one hand, who lean towards the latter explanation, and Hezbollah on the other, which defends the former. For the international community, the text is clear and stipulates a straightforward disarmament of the party's armed wing.