Lebanon Minister Backs Hezbollah Disarmament but Says Process Must Be Gradual
Social affairs minister Haneen Sayed says disarmament must happen but requires political settlement and cannot happen overnight
L'essentiel
- Lebanon's social affairs minister Haneen Sayed has backed calls for Hezbollah's disarmament, telling a Washington discussion that it must happen but requires a political settlement and cannot be instant.
- The comments follow a three-week extension of the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, which has been marred by deadly violations.
- Sayed acknowledged Hezbollah is also a community, making implementation difficult.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
The Lebanon-Israel ceasefire was brokered through rare direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials, with US involvement. The ceasefire has been extended once and violations have been reported, threatening the fragile peace. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, has been a key point of contention.
Haneen Sayed in Washington says the process must be gradual as a ceasefire continues to be marred by deadly violations
Lebanon’s social affairs minister has backed calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, but cautioned the process would take time before a “political settlement” could be reached, noting that the group is also a “community”.
Haneen Sayed told a discussion in Washington on Monday that disarming Hezbollah – an Iran-backed militant group – was a demand of her government and its people, and that it “must happen”.
“It’s not an overnight thing, but at least what we want to get to is that there be an agreement, and then the implementation is the second stage,” she told the discussion hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Sayed’s comments follow last week’s three-week extension of the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, a period already marred by reported violations. Her remarks also signalled an awareness that the Lebanese government has to deal with Hezbollah to achieve long-term peace in the country.
US President Donald Trump earlier said that the truce – a result of rare direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials – would include Hezbollah, with Israel’s envoy to the US, Yechiel Leiter, saying the two countries stood united in liberating Lebanon from the group.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
Hezbollah disarmament negotiations will continue over the coming months
Probable · En quelques mois
Additional ceasefire extensions will be needed
Probable · En quelques semaines
Questions ouvertes
- How will the political settlement for Hezbollah disarmament be negotiated?
- What guarantees will ensure compliance with the ceasefire?
- What role will Iran play in the disarmament process?
