
Upcoming US ambassador to Lebanon says Hezbollah needs to be disarmed
U.S. ambassador to Lebanon nominee Michel Issa, who is of Lebanese origins, has appeared before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a hearing on pending nominations.
'They know that if they don't disarm, there is something that's gonna happen. I don't know what's gonna happen, but something needs to happen,' Issa said about Hezbollah.
Noting that the Lebanese government would soon meet to discuss the issue of Hezbollah's disarmament, Issa added: 'Maybe that would create some pressure and hopefully it will solve the situation, but Hezbollah needs to go, Hezbollah needs to be disarmed, to bring some kind of hope to Lebanon.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Nahar Net
28 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
Qmati says 'people' will prevent state from disarming Hezbollah
by Naharnet Newsdesk 11 August 2025, 14:52 The deputy head of Hezbollah's political council, Mahmoud Qmati, said Monday that 'the Lebanese government will not be able to remove Hezbollah's arms.' 'The resistance is not isolated or besieged, but is rather part of a broad national front,' added Qmati after a visit to the headquarters of the Lebanese Communist Party and a meeting with its chief Hanna Gharib. 'The government has sold the country and gave foreign forces a blank check, but it will not manage to achieve what it wants,' Qmati said. 'The entire Lebanese people will confront the government if it tries to enforce its decision,' Qmati suggested, noting that 'the resistance was born from the womb of occupation, when the state could not protect the citizens and deter the aggression.' He accordingly called on the government, 'despite its fall,' to 'rectify the course and shun decisions that harm Lebanon.' Qmati's remarks come after the Lebanese government decided last week to disarm Hezbollah and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to complete the process by year end. Hezbollah has said it will ignore the cabinet's decision, which came under heavy U.S. pressure, while the group's backer Iran said Saturday it opposed the effort. Under the November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, arms are to be restricted to Lebanese state institutions. The government has tasked the army with presenting a plan by the end of August for disarming non-state actors. On Thursday, the government also discussed a U.S. proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament. The government endorsed the introduction of the U.S. text without discussing specific timelines, and called for the deployment of Lebanese troops in border areas. It also called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from five areas of the south they continue to occupy. Israeli has kept up its strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the truce and has vowed to continue them until the militant group has been disarmed.


Nahar Net
28 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
Jaber attacked on social media for backing 'arms monopoly'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 11 August 2025, 14:32 Hezbollah supporters have attacked Finance Minister Yassine Jaber of the Amal Movement on social media for saying the monopoly of arms in the hand of the state is one of the current priorities. 'Our priority is building the state, strengthening all its institutions, and activating and bolstering its role, topped by the Lebanese Army and all security forces, in addition to the monopoly of arms in its hand,' Jaber said from Nabatieh. 'This is what was asserted in the Ministerial Statement and it is a matter that enjoys consensus,' Jaber added. While Jaber was attacked by Hezbollah supporters, a large number of politicians lauded his stance, especially that it came after two cabinet sessions that he did not attend for being abroad. His statement comes after the Lebanese government decided last week to disarm Hezbollah and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to complete the process by year end. Hezbollah has said it will ignore the cabinet's decision, which came under heavy U.S. pressure, while the group's backer Iran said Saturday it opposed the effort. Under the November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, arms are to be restricted to Lebanese state institutions. The government has tasked the army with presenting a plan by the end of August for disarming non-state actors. On Thursday, the government also discussed a U.S. proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament. The government endorsed the introduction of the U.S. text without discussing specific timelines, and called for the deployment of Lebanese troops in border areas. It also called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from five areas of the south they continue to occupy. Israeli has kept up its strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the truce and has vowed to continue them until the militant group has been disarmed.


Nahar Net
28 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
Netanyahu credits Israel for changes in Lebanon
by Naharnet Newsdesk 11 August 2025, 14:10 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has noted that what is currently happening in Lebanon is due to Israel's war on Hezbollah last year. 'The new Lebanese government is speaking of disarming Hezbollah. Who could have believed that? Alright, some of us did and I did, and this is what's changing the Middle East, as I had promised to do on the second day of the war,' Netanyahu said. His statement comes after the Lebanese government decided last week to disarm Hezbollah and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to complete the process by year end. Hezbollah has said it will ignore the cabinet's decision, which came under heavy U.S. pressure, while the group's backer Iran said Saturday it opposed the effort. Under the November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, arms are to be restricted to Lebanese state institutions. The government has tasked the army with presenting a plan by the end of August for disarming non-state actors. On Thursday, the government also discussed a U.S. proposal that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament. The government endorsed the introduction of the U.S. text without discussing specific timelines, and called for the deployment of Lebanese troops in border areas. It also called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from five areas of the south they continue to occupy. Israeli has kept up its strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the truce and has vowed to continue them until the militant group has been disarmed.