Hezbollah yields to Israel and must also for Lebanon’s people

Hezbollah has reportedly conceded to Israel’s demands and is no longer present south of the Litani River, a key condition of the 2024 ceasefire. But this is not enough; if Hezbollah has yielded to Tel Aviv’s will, it is also time to do the same for the Lebanese people and state.

Observers consider this the completion of the first phase of the weapons consolidation initiative, which is led by the Lebanese Army, to confiscate all Hezbollah’s arms and place them under state authority. Hezbollah, through leaks to its Lebanese media, has already made it clear that it will not hand over a single bullet north of the Litani River.

So Hezbollah, which presents itself as a protector of Lebanon and a resistance movement, will happily execute and abide by the will of its sworn enemy, Israel, but refuses to even listen to the people and state.

This proves — if proof is still needed — that this organization is nothing but a regional, self-interested proxy. It is not a political institution, but simply a military non-state actor that should not be allowed to operate on Lebanese soil.

South of the Litani means nothing to the Lebanese. The Lebanese demand that weapons across the entire country be surrendered. The Lebanese want a state that is sovereign and protects all its citizens.

The Lebanese do not want reckless and adventurous terror organizations to push the country into conflict or destruction. Moreover, it is time for Hezbollah to wake up from its delusions following the severe defeat it suffered.

Today the reality is that despite stating for decades that it is a counterweight to the Israelis, it is now clear this was only artifice. I had mentioned this in a previous column in Arab News, years before the capitulation war of 2024. 

“The Lebanese do not want reckless and adventurous terror organizations to push the country into conflict or destruction.”

Khaled Abou Zahr

The end of the last war was indeed a capitulation. Hezbollah could not hide behind international protection as it did in 2006 and 2024, it capitulated to the Israeli military for the first time. There is no sugarcoating it. So, will it now yield to the will of the Lebanese state?

The answer is simply no. We should remember how Hezbollah assassinated Lebanese free speakers. We can be certain that its weapons are not and were never aimed at the Israelis but at the people of Lebanon. Let us not forget the terrorism of this group since its inception in the 1980s.

And how, during every period of domestic or regional political tensions, it killed on its own behalf or for its patrons. It killed opponents, anti-Syrian politicians, journalists, and military figures, to serve and maintain its hegemony on the state and advance its regional status.

It is no longer strong enough to face Israel but has just enough strength to maintain control over Lebanon for now.

We also need to remember Hezbollah’s role during the Syrian Civil War. And we must repeat that its weapons are not and were never aimed at the Israelis, but only at the people of Lebanon, the Levant and Arab region. We cannot forget that Hezbollah intervened militarily on the side of the Bashar Assad regime.

We cannot forget what they did in Qusayr, Aleppo, and the Damascus countryside. We cannot forget that UN investigations and independent reports have linked Hezbollah and allied pro-regime forces to participation in mass killings, sectarian reprisals, forced displacement of civilians, and the destruction of towns and villages. Moreover, we should remember its role in Iraq, Yemen, and beyond. 

Hezbollah is simply a military non-state actor that should not be allowed to operate on Lebanese soil.

Khaled Abou Zahr

While military meetings supervised by the US are currently taking place between Israel and Lebanon, these are merely to update Tel Aviv on the disarmament process and to avoid increased pressure on the execution of the disarmament plan.

Yet, Israeli strikes continue in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah sites and infrastructure. A few days ago, the Israeli army claimed the targeting of three Hezbollah members, one of whom was a Lebanese soldier.

The Lebanese army has denied this was one of its soldiers and accused Israel of spreading misinformation. It is difficult to imagine, considering the role and dominance of Hezbollah on the military and security levels, that it has no links, influence or sources within these Lebanese structures.

The same might be said about the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. This means that beyond the disarmament, Lebanese sovereign institutions will have to undergo an organizational restructure. One that should have taken place immediately after the withdrawal of Syrian troops, but which Hezbollah and its allies prevented.

This situation cannot continue because it is the source of all ills, including corruption in the country. It is high time for the Lebanese people to stop thinking within the framework of international resolutions and start considering the future and well-being of the country.

Hezbollah’s disarmament is not about implementing Resolution 1701 or abiding by Israel’s will. It is about building a country from the rubble of destruction. It is about putting forward the foundations of a new state for all citizens. There is no place for any non-state military actor in this roadmap.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.