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Nasrallah Threatening Geagea: We Have 100,000 Fighters

Lebanese soldiers stand guard as supporters of the Hezbollah and Amal groups burn rubbish containers to block a road during a protest in Beirut. (AP)
Lebanese soldiers stand guard as supporters of the Hezbollah and Amal groups burn rubbish containers to block a road during a protest in Beirut. (AP)
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Nasrallah Threatening Geagea: We Have 100,000 Fighters

Lebanese soldiers stand guard as supporters of the Hezbollah and Amal groups burn rubbish containers to block a road during a protest in Beirut. (AP)
Lebanese soldiers stand guard as supporters of the Hezbollah and Amal groups burn rubbish containers to block a road during a protest in Beirut. (AP)

Head of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah threatened on Monday the Lebanese Forces, saying his party boasts 100,000 trained and armed fighters.

He warned any side in the country against thinking of “waging a civil war with the party,” stressing in a harsh tone: “Be reasonable.”

In a speech on Monday, Nasrallah attempted to assure Christians, days after the clashes in Beirut’s Tayyouneh area pitted supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah and the Amal movement against the Christian LF.

Seven people were killed in the fighting and dozens injured.

The LF condemned Thursday’s events and blamed the violence on Hezbollah’s “incitement” against Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator in a probe into last year’s blast at Beirut port.

Amal and Hezbollah had called the demonstration to protest against Bitar.

Nasrallah alleged that his party helped preserve the presence of Christians in Syria and that it was defending Christian representation in Lebanon.

In his strongly-worded speech, he sharply criticized LF leader Samir Geagea, accusing him of seeking to divide Lebanon and ignite civil war.

He described the Tayyouneh developments as “fateful”, saying the victims were killed by LF supporters.

Addressing Geagea, he said: “With whom do want to wage a civil war? Don’t get your calculations wrong. You must know that Hezbollah boasts 100,000 fighters.”

“Don’t miscalculate and you should derive lessons from your wars and ours,” he said pointedly.

Moreover, Nasrallah addressed a footage of the fighting that showed a soldier firing at protesters.

He called for an investigation and for accountability, “otherwise we will see what will happen.”

“We do not leave the blood of our martyrs behind,” he stated.

On the Beirut port explosion probe, Nasrallah described Bitar as a “dictator”, claiming he is being backed by foreign embassies.

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Arab World

Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
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Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is advocating for the formation of a government of “consensus” that includes representatives from all political factions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has requested that parliamentary blocs submit non-partisan nominees for ministerial positions, emphasizing that they must not belong to any political party.

Aoun stressed on Tuesday that all components of society have the right to be represented in the government, parliament and public administration, as this is already practiced in the army.

“We have significant opportunities that we hope to seize by uniting all elements of Lebanese society—civil, spiritual, and political. Together, we can rebuild our nation,” he declared.

Highlighting the importance of meeting international expectations, Aoun hoped for the rapid formation of a government to achieve political, economic, and security stability, which would allow citizens “to live with dignity, not merely in relative comfort.”

During meetings with professional delegations at the Presidential Palace, Aoun said: “We are at a crossroads. Either we take advantage of the current circumstances and rise above sectarian, religious, and political divisions, or we head in a different direction and bear full responsibility for failing to fulfill our duties.”

Negotiations between Aoun, Salam, and political factions over the formation of a government are ongoing. The discussions, which kicked off last week, have reportedly made progress, with efforts directed toward expediting the government formation process, issuing decrees, preparing a ministerial statement, and securing its vote of confidence from lawmakers.

While the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement appear to have finalized their proposed nominees for the government, disagreements over the ministerial statement remain.

MP Waddah Sadek, who is backed by the opposition, firmly rejected the inclusion of the “Army, People, Resistance” term in the statement. He declared: “No ‘blocking third’ in the government, and no unconstitutional gimmicks. The slogan of the new phase in Lebanon should be: the ‘Army, People, and State.’”

The Kataeb Party echoed this stance, stressing that Lebanon, emerging from a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, must align with the Aoun’s inaugural speech and Salam’s remarks by ensuring the ministerial statement exclusively underscores the state’s monopoly over arms and the defense of the nation.

“The government must act decisively, dismantle militias, strictly enforce the ceasefire, and uphold its provisions across all Lebanese territory,” it demanded.

The Kataeb Party also urged Aoun and Salam to resist the “great extortion” by Hezbollah and Amal to secure specific ministries or positions, in violation of the inaugural speech, calling instead for the application of uniform standards to ensure the government’s success.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah adopted a more confrontational tone.

MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, commented: “To those betting on Hezbollah’s weakness or the weakness of the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, what will you say when the government is formed? What will you say when you realize the strength of Hezbollah, the alliance, and the resistance’s supporters across all segments of Lebanese society? What will you say when you see the unwavering determination and unity of the resistance at every critical juncture?”