Rajji says army capable of confronting Hezbollah militarily if needed

Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has said that the government’s “top priority” is Hezbollah’s disarmament, noting that the government took six months to reach a firm decision on undertaking this task.

“It was late, but the government is committed,” Rajji said in a Zoom interview with The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“Some in Lebanon believe the LAF is not progressing quickly enough and attribute the slow pace of the effort to insufficient political will. The LAF has a very difficult task and is facing a shortage of personnel and resources. It cannot simultaneously disarm and dismantle Hezbollah both south and north of the Litani,” Rajji added, according to the Institute’s English-language summary of the minister’s observations.

Noting that the 2024 ceasefire agreement “stipulated full disarmament throughout the entirety of Lebanon,” Rajji emphasized that “the texts are very clear” and that “Hezbollah is either lying or doesn’t know how to read.”

“Hezbollah is hoping to buy time, reconstitute, and continue its domination of the country … If a democratically elected government moves to disarm an illegal armed organization, it is restoring the principles of the constitution and the Taif Accord, not waging a ‘civil war.’ In any event, the LAF is capable of confronting Hezbollah militarily if necessary,” Rajji added, according to the Institute’s summary.

As for possible peace with Israel, the minister said “any discussion of peace or cooperation is premature.”

“Normalization comes after peace. Moreover, the issue of normalization remains largely taboo in Lebanon. While some argue that peace should be openly discussed at the official government level and within mainstream political discourse, this view remains marginal. The same holds for economic cooperation, which Israeli officials are currently promoting,” Rajji added.