Nawaf Salam: Qassem's statements carry a threat of civil war, and our decisions are purely Lebanese; no one dictates them to us

SadaNews - Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, stated this evening, Friday, that the statements of Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naeem Qassem, carry "a veiled threat of civil war, which is unacceptable," noting that no party in Lebanon is authorized to carry weapons outside the framework of the state.

In response to Qassem's statements, he added, "The talk of the Lebanese government implementing an American-Israeli project is baseless; our decisions are purely Lebanese, and no one dictates them to us."

Salam continued, "No one has requested the disarmament of Hezbollah to the Israeli enemy as some promote, but rather to the Lebanese army, which we reject questioning its national integrity." He also warned against "irresponsible actions that encourage sedition."

In this context, former Lebanese Presidents and Prime Ministers, in a joint statement, called for wisdom and firmness to ensure the exclusivity of arms in the hands of the state.

They expressed their condemnation of the ongoing Israeli occupation and its aggressive practices towards Lebanon, calling on the relevant international forces and guarantors to compel Israel to respect the agreements.

They also urged for calm away from tense positions and the dangers they carry, as well as for more Arab and international support for the government to implement its programs and restore its authority.

This comes after a speech delivered by Hezbollah's Secretary-General earlier today, Friday, in which he stated that "there is no Lebanese sovereignty without resistance that prevented the establishment of settlements," considering that the Lebanese government is implementing American and Israeli orders "to end the resistance, even through a civil war," and that it "serves the Israeli project."

He emphasized that Hezbollah will not lay down arms as long as the Israeli aggression continues, and mentioned that "the Lebanese government must work to end the occupation instead of making the wrong decision under the pretext of external pressures."