AA / Paris / Ümit Dönmez
France welcomed, Friday, August 8, the Lebanese government’s decision to initiate a process of disarmament of Hezbollah on Friday in order to restore the state monopoly on arms.
By way of a press release, the Quai d’Orsay described this decision as “historic and courageous”, seeing it “a strong signal of the determination of the Lebanese authorities to make Lebanon a sovereign, rebuilt and prosperous country”. French diplomacy has stressed the importance of respecting internationally recognized borders and peacekeeping with the neighbors of Lebanon.
This project of the Lebanese government, still in the development phase, aims to set a calendar and a specific plan to withdraw the weapons from the non -state armed groups, first of all of which Hezbollah. Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said the process should lead to that “all weapons were held by the national army”, according to words reported on July 31 by the French press.
Hezbollah, for its part, expressed its opposition to a unilateral disarmament. In a statement in early August, its secretary general Naïm Qassem warned that such a process “would serve the Israeli project” and called for a complete implementation of the ceasefire by Israel before any discussion on arms. The movement offers an approach called “simultaneity”: disarmament in exchange for total Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
France, with its European, American and region partners, has reiterated its support for the implementation of Lebanese commitments. It participates in the joint monitoring mechanism of the ceasefire established after the agreement of November 26, 2024, in close collaboration with the United States. It also recalls its involvement in the interim strength of the United Nations in Lebanon (Finul), “which has a crucial role to play for the stabilization of South Lebanon and support for the Lebanese armed forces in the implementation of resolution 1701 of the Security Council”, in the words of the press release.
The Quai d’Orsay also called on “all Lebanese actors” to respect this decision “taken in a sovereign and legitimate manner” by their government, and urged Israel to fully comply with its cease-fire commitments.
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