Hezbollah is not with us... It is stuck in the pre-October 7, 2023 era! That impression stands out from the televised rhetoric of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem. "We will not put an end to the resistance, whatever you do." He dismissed the notion that the party is fighting "others' wars," claiming that "the state’s monopoly on armament is a domestic matter, but resistance is another matter altogether."
Qassem takes a patronizing tone in addressing the state: "Show us what you can do." He ignored Hezbollah’s defeat, refusing to address its "distraction war" that provoked Israel’s retaliation. The interview clearly signaled his intention to defy UN resolutions regarding its arms and the ceasefire agreement (which he had negotiated and pledged to uphold) refusing to commit to dismantling the party’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River- a key article of the ceasefire agreement.
Moreover, some analysts see his statements as part of a dangerous extortion campaign by the party’s propaganda machine. The message is that Hezbollah’s "support base" will make life unbearable for everyone else unless reconstruction of the destroyed areas begins immediately. It implies that citizens will not have security, schools, or hospitals until those that have been destroyed are rebuilt.
So, what is behind this obnoxious hubris?
Hezbollah is out of touch. It bogged down in political bankruptcy and stubborn denial. The party has failed to grasp that the collapse of Iran’s grand project has collapsed, forcing Iran to retreat to its borders. Hezbollah has also refused to acknowledge the dramatic collapse of the "unity of the arenas" strategy, as well as its inability to defend the Iranian regime and, perhaps, the disintegration of the Quds Force.
Maybe most alarming, Hezbollah refuses to acknowledge that Lebanon is now breathing freely again, gradually reclaiming its hijacked state and reinforcing the sovereignty of legitimate authorities, without a partner. It might take a while for the party to realize that the state alone now makes decisions of war and peace alone, without regard for the empty threats some in the party make because they believe they can blackmail and destabilize the country. Hezbollah may manage to create a degree of disruption, but the era of political adolescence is over, and it is not coming back, as trying to reimpose it now carries serious risks.
Nothing would be more perilous to the country than failing to stand up to the policy of double standards. It is clear that turning a blind eye does nothing but embolden Hezbollah and Amal, encouraging them to keep pushing alarming narratives to avoid implementing the ceasefire agreement. It is time to expose the true motives behind their ploys to avoid the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701. Lebanon has already affirmed- in the president’s inaugural speech and the government’s ministerial statement- that it is committed to respecting UN resolutions because this serves the interests of its people. That is, implementing 1701 is not one option among others.
This national decision demands concrete action. A state seeking reconstruction and economic assistance does not have the luxury of delaying the fully implemented Resolution 1701 everywhere- from the south to the capital, the airport, the far north, the east, and the border with Syria. As Army Commander Joseph Aoun has made clear, “No non-state actor has the authority to defend our land.”
Past mistakes cannot be made again. The "support war" has already led to the reoccupation of land that had been liberated at great cost. It is now evident that Israel’s attempts to impose a security buffer along the border cannot be stopped militarily, given the overwhelming imbalance of power between Israel and all the frontline states together, let alone Lebanon.
The only viable path forward is strengthening Lebanon’s political cohesion and pressing on with its diplomatic battle centered on retrieving its territory and the armistice agreement that the two countries have signed. This agreement encompasses internationally recognized demarcated borders and prohibits any military action from Lebanon against Israel. Doing anything else will only create burdens that the country cannot endure.
Reconstruction is a binding commitment, as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has repeatedly emphasized. However, this process, which can only begin after the necessary financial resources are secured, will be a monumental task. The World Bank has estimated the cost of reconstruction at $14 billion, nearly 60% of Lebanon’s GDP. That is, it will be a long and arduous recovery process that cannot even begin until all of Hezbollah’s weapons are fully handed to the state.
Of course, that will not be easy. Hezbollah’s compliance will not be immediate or automatic. The legitimate authorities- armed with their sovereignty and the force of their political stance- must take decisive steps to prove that factional armament is not an option.
Nothing illustrates this point better than the situation in the country, particularly in the south. Since the ceasefire agreement was signed, the enemy has continued to violate it, operating freely along the border. The lies Israel tells to justify these violations are centered on Hezbollah’s continued armament, which has become a convenient pretext for advancing its political objectives. Hezbollah is aware that armed confrontation is impossible, and it knows that firing even a single rocket launch would embroil the entire country in a catastrophic misadventure.
This raises a key question: what domestic objectives does Hezbollah hope to achieve with its rhetoric and its insistence on maintaining its arsenal? It is time to remove these pretexts through firm positions. We must affirm that “the era of armed resistance is over, the era of regional alignment is over, and Lebanon is not a battleground any longer.”
