Lebanon bans Hezbollah’s military activities
The Lebanese government has outlawed all security and military activities of Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has announced.
In a statement on Monday, Salam called for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons to the state and said the Lebanese Army would immediately start implementing its plan to disarm the group.
Explaining the ban, the prime minister pointed to an overnight missile launch into northern Israel claimed by Hezbollah, which said it sought revenge for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli regime change operation launched on Saturday.
The Lebanese prime minister stated that Hezbollah’s act directly contradicted the country’s rejection of being “dragged into the ongoing regional war” and its commitment to peace.
Following rocket fire by Hezbollah, Israel carried out airstrikes on Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 31 people, according to the authorities.
Salam’s statement urges the international community to step up diplomatic efforts “to stop the Israeli aggression,” and suggests that Beirut is prepared to re-enter negotiations with Israel under international auspices.
Lebanon and Israel entered a US-backed ceasefire in late 2024 to put an end to nearly a year of fighting after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. However, Israeli forces have regularly attacked Lebanese territory since then, accusing the militant group of breaking the ceasefire.
