Sami Gemayel: Restricting Hezbollah's Weapons to the State is the Real Test

Sami Gemayel, head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party and Member of Parliament, affirmed that his political team's goal is to move Lebanon to a new phase in which the state regains its full decision-making power and sovereignty over its territory, emphasizing that the problem is not with the Shiite community but with Hezbollah's weapons.

In a televised interview on LBCI channel, Gemayel stated that Hezbollah did not respond to calls to open a new page based on frankness and reconciliation, considering that the Kataeb Party's stance on weapons has been distorted through organized propaganda.

Gemayel pointed out that Hezbollah's decision is not Lebanese but linked to Iran, speaking about the presence of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon and its direct role in managing Hezbollah, describing Hezbollah's insistence on retaining weapons as the execution of Iranian orders.

He viewed the Lebanese army's phased plan, starting from south of the Litani River and then north of it, as a real test for the state, considering that Hezbollah's relinquishment of its weapons south of the Litani River has nullified the justification for the existence of these weapons in the first place.

Gemayel warned that failure to complete the army's deployment north of the Litani will lead to a serious problem, considering that weapons are now used to control internal affairs and overturn balances. He called on Hezbollah to realize that its armed role will end and that the best option is to voluntarily hand over its weapons to the army to spare Lebanon a new war, affirming that Lebanon's protection can only be achieved through the state's full restoration of sovereignty.

On the political front, Gemayel announced his support for the Foreign Minister's positions regarding Iran, considering that the state is no longer subject to Hezbollah, as reflected in the performance of the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs and in the Prime Minister's stances. He also emphasized that the President of the Republic is constitutionally authorized to negotiate, considering the appointment of Ambassador Simon Karam an important step, but one that remains ineffective unless accompanied by restricting weapons to the state.