Beirut, (EFE).- Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hasan Fadlallah said Thursday that the Shiite group is prepared to engage in dialogue over Lebanon’s national defense strategy. This could mark a significant shift toward addressing the group’s long-standing arsenal outside state control.
Speaking to reporters at the Lebanese Parliament, Fadlallah said the organization is in ongoing with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun regarding the issue.
“Hezbollah’s position is unified regarding the handling of weapons and the defense strategy. Today’s priority is halting aggression and liberating our territory. We are ready for any dialogue on the national strategy,” he stated.
The lawmaker added that Hezbollah will participate in discussions once President Aoun finalizes the framework for the talks.
“We’ve expressed full readiness for a dialogue that would lead to a national defense strategy that protects sovereignty. We approach all sincere and enthusiastic invitations to dialogue with an open hand and mind,” Fadlallah said.
This comes after Aoun announced earlier in the week that the presidency would soon begin drafting a roap toward a national defense policy. This plan could address the future of Hezbollah’s weapons and its controversial military wing.
Lebanese president says Hezbollah shows “flexibility”
President Aoun echoed those sentiments Thursday, telling a group of parliamentarians that Hezbollah had shown “great flexibility” on the matter of disarmament.
The remarks were shared on the official Lebanese presidency’s X , quoting MP Sajih Attieh who attended the meeting.
“According to MP Attieh, President Aoun stated that Hezbollah has shown flexibility and agility regarding cooperation on the weapons issue, based on a specific timeline,” the post read.
In a speech earlier this week, Aoun emphasized the need to resolve issues “through communication and dialogue,” and reiterated that Hezbollah is a Lebanese political component.
He also reaffirmed a key policy goal: “There is no place for weapons or armed groups outside the framework of the state.”
The conversation around Hezbollah’s disarmament has resurfaced following 2024’s deadly Israeli offensive, which claimed over 4,000 lives in Lebanon.
After a ceasefire was reached in November 2024, Lebanese authorities pledged to ensure that all armed entities fall under the command of the national army.
Hezbollah remains the only militia to have kept its arms following the 1989 Taif agreement, which ended Lebanon’s 15-year civil war.
The group has long justified its military wing as necessary for defending Lebanon from Israeli aggression, particularly in the country’s south.
Hezbollah and Israel, a volatile relationship
Hezbollah, a United States-designated “terrorist organization,” was founded in the 1980s with backing from Iran, gaining popularity in Lebanon as a resistance movement against Israeli occupation.
Over the years, it has evolved into a powerful political and military force with seats in parliament and a well-trained militia often considered stronger than the Lebanese army itself.
Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have remained high for decades, flaring into open conflict during the 2006 Lebanon War.
In 2024 those tensions reignited, leading to a brutal Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon, one of the deadliest in recent history, before a ceasefire was brokered in November. EFE
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