Geagea urges Hezbollah to honor commitments, says army must dismantle military bases

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday accused Hezbolah of committing “a major crime against the Lebanese in general and the residents of the Bekaa, the south and Beirut’s southern suburbs in particular.”

“We could have done without the killing of more than 4,000 Lebanese, displacement and destruction, and despite all these disasters, Hezbollah’s MPs are still talking about a victory, in a bizarre approach that has nothing to do with reality,” Geagea said at a press conference that followed an emergency meeting for the LF-led Strong Republic bloc.

“The latest war was in the service of another cause at the expense of Lebanon. Who tasked Hezbollah with declaring the ‘assistance war’? The vast majority of the Lebanese was against that war and did not agree to turning Lebanon into an arena for the conflicts of others,” the LF leader added.

Noting that the so-called army-people-resistance equation “does not exist as per the ceasefire agreement signed between Hezbollah and Israel,” Geagea accused the Iran-backed group of “trying to cheat in every way possible, as if no one has died.”

“Hezbollah agreed to the ceasefire decision and it must be honest with itself and must honor its commitments. The decision should be implemented through sitting with the Lebanese Army command and starting to dismantle military infrastructure across Lebanon, as stipulated in the agreement,” the LF leader urged.

Stressing that “the era of failing to implement agreements and pledges has ended,” Geagea called on the government, parliament and Hezbollah to “shoulder their responsibilities and work on what has been agreed on in a manner that serves Lebanon’s interest and secures its stability.”

“According to the agreement, weapons must be in the army’s hands,” the LF leader said.

He added: “Let no one think that it is possible to return to the period before October 7, 2023. It is impossible to return to how we were. If you don’t want a state, tell us so that we know what to do. Lebanon cannot remain like this, without clarity or responsibility by everyone.”