In a statement he made to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah, the head of the Lebanese Phalange Party, MP Sami Gemayel, stated that “the cell linked to Hezbollah that was recently exposed in Kuwait forms part of the continued Iranian aggression against the Gulf states and interference in their affairs.”
Gemayel also explained that Lebanon has suffered heavy losses as a result of practices linked to Iran, especially with Hezbollah controlling the decision on war and peace, which dragged the country into regional conflicts. He stressed that the Lebanese people demand the disarmament of the party in implementation of state decisions that stipulate that weapons be restricted to the hands of legitimate institutions.
He stressed that Lebanon’s interest lies in the stability of the Arab countries, especially the Gulf countries, which have supported Lebanon economically and received tens of thousands of Lebanese, considering that any positive diplomatic progress must be made through the Lebanese state and its legal institutions.
He added that the main obstacle lies in Hezbollah’s continued monopoly on the decision of war and peace, which obstructs any negotiating path, indicating that the state’s restoration of this right would increase the chances of the success of any solution.
Gemayel pointed out that Lebanon faces a grave danger in light of the current escalation, at a time when the Israeli side is calling in reserve forces, considering that the country is in a struggle against time to begin implementing the illegal arms restriction and dismantling the party’s security structure, before the scope of any ground operation expands and the accompanying destruction, displacement, and economic and social crises.
He warned that the continuation of the confrontation puts Lebanon in danger at all levels, considering that the fate of the war depends on developments in the situation in Iran, while the Lebanese are paying the price for this connection.
He stressed that confining weapons to the state is a basic condition for the establishment of a true state, explaining that the existence of a military decision outside the authority of the state effectively means that the decision of war and peace is no longer in the hands of the Lebanese.
He called for a unified national position that refuses to turn Lebanon into an arena for others’ conflicts, demanding that measures be taken against any diplomatic parties proven to be involved in supporting the military wing of the party, and the continuation of implementing the government’s decision to pursue members of the Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon.
Gemayel concluded by stressing that stability in the region requires putting an end to Iran’s attempts to destabilize countries, stressing the need not to involve Lebanon in external conflicts.
