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Ya Libnan
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Hezbollah Still Doesn't Get It
By Ali Hussein Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah recently accused the Lebanese government of shirking the responsibilities it pledged to the Lebanese people. He argued that the government gained the Parliament's vote of confidence based on these commitments. He said, 'Some members of the government have not read, or do not read, the ministerial statement—or perhaps do not know what happened to secure their position of responsibility. These individuals gained Parliament's confidence based on a series of gradual commitments, and some of them want to take a single sentence or word, as if implementing these commitments is a selective process based on what they wish for or desire, or on dictates imposed by external factors.' Fadlallah then cited the government's supposed obligations: He concluded by asking what the government has done to implement these three clauses, implying that Hezbollah bears no responsibility to comply until the government does its part. But Fadlallah is simply making excuses to avoid disarming . Hezbollah itself is the main reason these commitments remain unfulfilled. Let's not forget: the ceasefire agreement that Hezbollah and Israel accepted last November was based on UNSC Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon—including Hezbollah and Palestinian groups. Lebanon's own president and prime minister have publicly and privately told Hezbollah that no country in the world is willing to help rebuild the tens of thousands of homes destroyed during the war while Hezbollah keeps its weapons. International aid is conditional on Hezbollah disarming. As for the five strategic hills, Hezbollah should remember that it was they who unilaterally attacked Israel in 2023 without consulting any Lebanese officials. Hezbollah's reckless actions led to Lebanon losing those hills to Israel. Every time Hezbollah initiates an attack, Lebanon—especially the south—ends up paying the price, losing more territory. In 2006, Hezbollah's war also cost Lebanon the town of Upper Ghajar, which remains under Israeli control to this day. Hezbollah must understand: its arms are not defending Lebanon—they are a tool of Iran's regional ambitions at the expense of Lebanon's sovereignty. Reconstruction will never happen while Hezbollah refuses to disarm. Enough excuses. Hand over your weapons to the Lebanese Army. The people of South Lebanon want this, but they are too afraid to say it publicly after suffering so much from Hezbollah's mistakes. It's time for Hezbollah to pledge allegiance to Lebanon. This is your country, not Iran's.
Ya Libnan
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Hezbollah's arms are holding Lebanon hostage. Enough is enough, the time to disarm is now
File: Hezbollah blocks the main road of Lebanon's only airport with burning tires and garbage after Lebanon decided to ban flights of Iranian airlines By Ali Hussein As long as Hezbollah remains armed, Lebanon will never see lasting peace or stability. The near-daily Israeli airstrikes in the south serve as a grim reminder that the war between Hezbollah and Israel is far from over—despite intermittent ceasefires. These flare-ups have devastated southern Lebanon, particularly Shiite communities, displacing families and destroying tens of thousands of homes. For Lebanon to survive, the cycle of destruction must end. The only viable path forward is for Hezbollah to officially declare that it will hand over its arms to the Lebanese Army and integrate itself into the state's institutions. The future of Lebanon cannot continue to hinge on the whims of a militia that answers to a foreign power. The country is at a crossroads. Despite years of political paralysis and economic collapse, Lebanon has recently begun making efforts to rebuild relations with its Arab neighbors. If peace returns to the border, Lebanon is poised to experience a banner summer. Millions of tourists—Lebanese expatriates and Arab visitors alike—are expected to flock to Beirut, the mountains, and the coast, bringing desperately needed revenue and hope to struggling businesses and communities. But this opportunity will vanish if Hezbollah continues to provoke conflict. No one will invest, visit, or rebuild in a country teetering on the edge of war. Even Iran, Hezbollah's primary patron, is now reportedly seeking ways to ease tensions with the United States. If Tehran is willing to pursue diplomacy to serve its national interest, then why should Lebanon continue to be sacrificed for someone else's agenda? It's time for Hezbollah to think of its people. Its constituency in the south has borne the brunt of every round of fighting. They need homes, jobs, and schools—not rockets, bunkers, and war. Hezbollah must pledge allegiance to the Lebanese state, not to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The era of proxy wars must end. Enough is enough. For Lebanon to live, Hezbollah must disarm.
Ya Libnan
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
The Lebanese army seizes missiles and arms in Rashaya and Bekaa, several arrested
The Army Command announced the seizure of a quantity of missiles and weapons in the outskirts of the town of Aiha Marj al-Tut in Rashaya, and the arrest of eight people in Kfar Zabad in the Bekaa. The Army explained in a statement that 'After security surveillance and follow-up operations, an Army unit, supported by a patrol from the Intelligence Directorate, seized a quantity of missiles, weapons, ammunition, and explosive devices in the outskirts of the town of Aiha Marj al-Tut in Rashaya. An Intelligence Directorate patrol also arrested eight citizens in the town of Kfar Zabad in the Bekaa for forming a gang involved in smuggling arms and ammunition from Syria to Lebanon . A quantity of weapons and ammunition was also seized , in addition to several vehicles used to carry out their operations.' The seized items were handed over, and investigations with the detainees were initiated under the supervision of the competent judiciary. Hezbollah is the only armed militia in Lebanon and used to store all its arms that came from Iran in Syir , during the regime of deposed dictator Bashar al Assad who was a key ally of Iran and Hezbollah. Hezbollah was weakened in its war with Israel and most of its top leaders have been killed . Its current leader Naim Qassem fled Iran as soon as he succeeded former slain leader Hassan Nasrallah .Hezbollah is reportedly disintegrating since very few follow Qassem's orders , according to analysts who follow closely the Iran backed militia. 3 prominent Shiite activiists ; Journalist Muhammad Barakat , University professor Dr. Ali Khalifa and attorney Hanan Jawad blasted today the The Supreme Shiite council , which is controlled by Hezbollah , accusing it of corruption and money laundering and declared that they are suing members of the council over abuse of power and breach of duty. In an editorial article in Ya Libnan, prominent Lebanese political analysts Ali Hussein urged yesterday Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Counci to ' turn his attention to our beloved Shiite community—our brothers and sisters—who have suffered more than anyone from Hezbollah's reckless decisions.' Ali Hussein wrote ' It's time to focus on rebuilding the tens of thousands of Shiite homes destroyed in wars Hezbollah provoked. It's time to shift allegiance from Iran to Lebanon, from perpetual conflict to lasting peace. He added' Sheikh al-Khatib must recognize this reality: No international friend of Lebanon will help rebuild our nation so long as Hezbollah remains armed.' He added: It is time for peace. It is time for prosperity. It is time to bury the culture of death and rise together as one Lebanese people. ' Source : El Nashra , translated from Arabic
Ya Libnan
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Dialogue with Hezbollah is a waste of time. Disarming it is the only option to save Lebanon
File: Destruction, death, and fear engulfed Beirut, Lebanon, on September 28, 2024. The blasts could be heard throughout Beirut, an earth-shaking thunder that rolled across the city that Friday evening when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated. Hezbollah initiated the attacks against Israel on October 8, 2023, without consulting any of Lebanon's top officials. Over 4000 Lebanese were killed in the war By: Ali Hussein, Ya Libnan Opinion Columnist Hezbollah is a massive liability for Lebanon. Time and again, the group has violated national consensus, defied the rule of law, and dragged Lebanon into conflicts it never chose. Dialogue with Hezbollah has consistently proven to be a waste of time—nothing more than a smokescreen for the group to buy time, rearm, and impose its will on the Lebanese state. Hezbollah has never honored the outcomes of previous dialogue sessions. It defied the 2006 agreement on national unity when it launched a unilateral attack on Israel, sparking a devastating war. In 2012, it ignored the Baabda Declaration, which aimed to insulate Lebanon from regional conflicts, by sending thousands of fighters to support Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In 2023, Hezbollah again acted unilaterally, launching attacks against Israel in support of its Iranian-backed ally Hamas—another reckless move that risked plunging Lebanon into a wider war. Now, after suffering heavy losses and having many of its strongholds destroyed by Israel, Hezbollah is suddenly calling for a 'national dialogue' on Lebanon's defense strategy. But many in Lebanon see through the charade. They view Hezbollah not as a defender of Lebanon, but as a destabilizing force, weakened and discredited. The Lebanese Army, according to local media reports, has begun entering former Hezbollah bases north of the Litani River—slowly and discreetly. It may be the beginning of a long-overdue reassertion of state sovereignty. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has flatly rejected any new talks over Hezbollah's arms. He instead called for a clear, six-month deadline for the group's full disarmament, both north and south of the Litani. He emphasized what most Lebanese now believe: that there is no room for more hollow dialogues or ambiguous 'defense strategies.' The state must act. Hezbollah's militarization continues to isolate Lebanon. Its strongholds, leveled during the war, remain in ruins—not a single international donor is willing to help rebuild as long as Hezbollah remains armed. The group is not only a threat to national security but also a roadblock to Lebanon's recovery. Worse still, Hezbollah is directly responsibility for one of the darkest days in Lebanon's modern history. In 2020, the Port of Beirut and its surrounding neighborhoods were obliterated in a massive explosion when thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate—illegally stored there under Hezbollah's watch—detonated. That chemical stockpile was reportedly intended for use by the Assad regime in Syria, for making barrel bombs that killed countless civilians during the war, which claimed nearly half a million lives. The explosion killed over 200 people, injured 7000 thousands, made 300,000 homeless and left parts of Beirut in ruins. To this day, no real justice has been served. More recently, the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by HTS forces has further isolated Hezbollah from its Iranian patron, weakening its regional leverage. The group's options are narrowing. The question is no longer if Hezbollah will be disarmed. It is when —and the answer must be soon , before Lebanon suffers even more from the burdens of a militia that answers to foreign powers and not to its own people. Finally, let's not kid ourselves: Hezbollah was never created to liberate Palestine or defend Lebanon. It was created solely to expand Iran's influence in the region. And Iran, for its part, never had any genuine intention of liberating Palestine either. Its main interest has always been—and continues to be—the destabilization of the Middle East to serve its own strategic ambitions. It's time to call a spade a spade. The question is no longer if Hezbollah will be disarmed. It is when —and the answer must be now .
