Lebanese Prime Minister Reiterates the Necessity of Hezbollah Fulfilling Its Commitments to Restrict Weapons

Beirut, June 24 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed on Wednesday the necessity for Hezbollah to abide by its commitments to confine weapons to the state, clarifying that this issue was not raised to appease the Israeli occupation. This came during Salam’s remarks while receiving a delegation from the Lebanese Journalists’ Syndicate, led by Syndicate President Awni al-Kaaki. Salam stated, “I ask Hezbollah only to honor its commitments. Through the government in 2006, of which it was a part, it committed to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and it reaffirmed this commitment in 2024 through the ceasefire agreement on the monopoly of weapons.” He added, “We are not confining weapons to appease Israel; this is an independent Lebanese matter that has been agreed upon, and we have been delayed in implementing it for a long time since the Taif Agreement was adopted.” Regarding the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Switzerland, Salam said that the track of negotiations between Lebanon and the Israeli occupation in Washington differs from the Switzerland talks, in which participants agreed to form a cell comprising the United States, Lebanon, and Iran to consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon and monitor the implementation of related measures. He noted, “We went to the negotiations in Washington because it is the path with the least cost for Lebanon. No one knows in advance the outcome of any negotiations, but we know well what we seek from them, which is the complete Israeli withdrawal.” On the expiration of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Salam said, “We still see the need for an international presence in the south to carry out three essential tasks: monitoring, reporting, and coordination and liaison.” (End) A.Y.B / A.M.S