Gemayel: Hezbollah Must Learn from What is Happening with Hamas

SadaNews - Lebanese Forces leader Samir Gemayel stated that Hezbollah has "no choice" but to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state, urging it to "learn" from the experience of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with AFP from his office in the mountainous town of Maarab, north of Beirut, Gemayel, one of Hezbollah's most prominent opponents, said, "The party has no option but to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state, because there is a state that has made the decision."

He added, "Hezbollah must certainly learn from what is currently happening with Hamas. This is an additional reason for it to hand over its weapons to the state as soon as possible," adding, "It is a shame to waste time."

Gemayel noted that "the party's leaders are currently exploiting the situation" by refusing to hand over their weapons to the state, which put forth a plan in August to disarm the Iran-backed group under pressure from Israel and the United States.

He continued, "I don’t understand much of what they are doing, and frankly, I didn’t understand the support war that was clear where it would lead (..) and I didn’t understand October 7. On what basis did they take these steps and where did they end up?".

Since November 27, a ceasefire agreement reached under American and French sponsorship has been in effect, calling for Hezbollah to withdraw from the south of the Litani River (about 30 kilometers from the border with Israel) and dismantle its military infrastructure there, limiting the carrying of arms in Lebanon to official agencies.

Gemayel, whose party holds the largest bloc in the Lebanese parliament, and who had previously handed over his weapons to the Lebanese state after participating in the Civil War (1975-1990), believes that the authority, represented by President Joseph Aoun and the government, should show "greater firmness" in enforcing the limitation of arms in the hands of the state.

He argued that by opposing arms handover, the party "places itself outside the political game and outside the law, making it seem like a rebel against the state," adding, "This weakens its position rather than strengthening it."

The Lebanese government decided in August to strip Hezbollah of its weapons, and the army developed a five-phase plan for disarmament, a move that the party quickly rejected, describing the decision as a "blunder."