Hezbollah denies reports of standoff with Lebanese State over disarmament
Hezbollah has categorically denied reports that it is preparing for a confrontation with the Lebanese state, following claims broadcast by Saudi-owned channels Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that its military wing had refused to disarm, even if Israel were to withdraw from Lebanese territory.
In a statement released Wednesday, Hezbollah's media relations office dismissed the reports as 'fabricated lies,' accusing the two networks of pushing 'suspicious agendas aimed at sowing confusion and destabilizing Lebanon.'
The group urged all media outlets to disregard the claims and to consult official Hezbollah channels for its positions.
The allegations, attributed to unnamed sources, suggested that Hezbollah had informed Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that it would not surrender its weapons under any circumstances, and was even prepared to clash with the state if forced to do so. According to the same sources, Speaker Berri relayed to US envoy Tom Barrack that he could not guarantee Hezbollah's disarmament north of the Litani River, an area demarcated under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
The sources further claimed that frustration is mounting within Lebanon's political leadership over what is seen as Hezbollah's refusal to seize what some officials regard as a critical opportunity to reassert state sovereignty. Senior figures within the presidency and the cabinet are reportedly advocating for a renewed commitment to limit the possession of arms to official state institutions.
On Tuesday, Barrack addressed the issue in an interview with Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV, assuring that Lebanon would not be subjected to a second war with Israel, signaling that a diplomatic solution remained possible. He described the disarmament question as part of a phased process with clearly defined deadlines, including one set for August 1.
The US envoy characterized his recent meeting with Speaker Berri as 'exceptional,' but cautioned that 'time is running out for everyone, and there is no room for delay,' adding that a window still exists to reach an agreement supported by key regional stakeholders.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
6 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Lebanon uncovers alleged Hamas cell as Israeli violations persist
Shafaq News – Beirut The Lebanese Army has allegedly dismantled a secret training camp operated by Hamas and al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya in western Lebanon, according to reports published by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper and Al Hadath TV on Saturday. Citing military sources, the outlets reported that the facility was equipped with weapons and used to train Lebanese and foreign nationals. More than ten individuals were detained—most of them from Beirut, along with several of Jordanian nationality—in a case that, according to the sources, reflects a sustained commitment to a military course and renewed efforts to rebuild combat capabilities. Some were described as sons of fighters killed in the recent Israeli war that resulted in thousands of casualties, including women and children. According to the same sources, this operation followed an earlier raid carried out weeks ago in the Aitat area of Mount Lebanon, where a Hamas-linked cell had reportedly rented an abandoned house in Jurd Aley for training purposes. That group was said to be in contact with Palestinian camps across the country. Ten individuals were arrested—seven Lebanese, one Palestinian, and one Jordanian—and light weapons were confiscated. Neither the Lebanese Army nor government officials have commented on the reported incidents. These revelations come amid heightened media focus on Palestinian and Lebanese factions. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya and Al Hadath recently accused Hezbollah of preparing for a confrontation with the Lebanese state, alleging that its military wing had refused to disarm, even if Israel were to withdraw from Lebanese territory. The Lebanese party dismissed the allegations as 'fabricated lies,' confirming that the networks are pushing 'suspicious agendas aimed at sowing confusion and destabilizing Lebanon.' Meanwhile, Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon has intensified. Earlier today, a Lebanese civilian was killed in a drone strike targeting a vehicle on the Twairi–Srifa road in Tyre district, according to the Ministry of Health. The Lebanese Army, in a separate incident, reported that an Israeli drone carrying a grenade crashed on the outskirts of Meiss El Jabal, calling the incident a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty. Army engineers secured the area, detonated the grenade, and transferred the drone to a specialized unit for analysis. في ظل مواصلة العدو الإسرائيلي اعتداءاته المستمرة وانتهاكه السيادة الوطنية، سقطت بتاريخ ٢٦ /٧ /٢٠٢٥ مسيّرة في خراج بلدة ميس الجبل – مرجعيون للعدو الإسرائيلي تحمل رمانة يدوية، وقد عملت دورية من الجيش على تأمين محيط سقوطها، وتفجير الرمانة اليدوية ونقل المسيّرة إلى الوحدة المختصة… — الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) July 26, 2025 Between November 27, 2024, and June 30, 2025, Israel committed 3,799 violations of the ceasefire agreement, including 1,771 ground incursions, over 1,916 airspace breaches, and 112 maritime violations—resulting in 195 deaths and 433 injuries.
Shafaq News
6 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Ocalan's cellmate freed as Turkiye renews Kurdish peace efforts
Shafaq News – Ankara Turkish authorities have released Veysi Aktas, a longtime cellmate of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), amid renewed efforts to revive peace talks between Ankara and the group. Although Aktas was due for release on April 28, 2024, the Imrali Prison Directorate and its Supervisory Board delayed his discharge for a year under discretionary legal provisions. He was freed on Friday after spending more than three decades in prison, including the last ten years with Ocalan in the high-security Imrali Island facility. His release coincided with a visit by a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) to Imrali, part of ongoing mediation efforts in what is being described as a new phase in the peace process. The Turkish-Kurdish dialogue was quietly restarted in late 2024 after multiple failed attempts in past decades. Turkish media described Aktas' release as a goodwill gesture aimed at advancing negotiations to end the PKK's long-running armed campaign. During this current initiative, Aktas appeared twice in public: first on February delivering a message on Ocalan's behalf, and again on July 9 in newly released video footage featuring the PKK leader. A native of Diyarbakır, Aktas was arrested in 1994 on charges of attempting to secede part of Turkiye's territory and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Shafaq News
6 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Recognition not enough: French Left urges military intervention in Gaza
Shafaq News – Paris Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing movement La France Insoumise, called on France to act swiftly and ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's planned recognition of the State of Palestine in September. Earlier this week, Macron announced France would extend official recognition to Palestine during the upcoming UN session — a move criticized by both Israel and the United States. Mélenchon hailed the announcement as a 'moral victory' reflecting growing public pressure and widespread solidarity with Palestinians. However, he questioned the timing, stressing, 'Why wait until September? People in Gaza are dying now, not in two months.' The left-wing leader also called for an immediate ban on arms exports to Israel and the suspension of the European Union's economic partnership with Tel Aviv, warning that symbolic recognition alone would not halt what he described as 'the ongoing genocide in Gaza.' La victoire morale est là mais on connaît la technique des annonces différées de Macron. Depuis des mois ce type de comportement encourage la durée du crime à Gaza. Pourquoi en septembre et pas maintenant ? Et l'embargo sur les armes ? Et la rupture de l'accord de coopération ?… — Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) July 24, 2025 Pressing France to fulfill its international responsibilities, Mélenchon demanded French military involvement to establish humanitarian corridors into Gaza. 'The French army should deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, confronting the Israeli government with a sovereign and strong state instead of defenseless civilians,' he added. Meanwhile, Rima Hassan, a European Parliament member affiliated with La France Insoumise, criticized Macron's conditions for recognition, particularly the demand for Palestinian disarmament. Hassan argued the approach 'empties the concept of sovereignty of its meaning,' emphasizing that the Palestinian people will not relinquish their right to resist as long as settlement and occupation policies continue. These statements come as conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. At least 57 Palestinians were killed and nine others died from starvation in the past 24 hours, amid ongoing Israeli operations and a deepening blockade on aid. The Gaza Health Ministry reported Saturday that the death toll since October 7, 2023, has reached 59,733, with 144,777 others wounded.
