Middle East: Debate about Hisbollah gesturing in Lebanon is pushing up

In Lebanon, the debate about the disarmament of the HISBOLLAH militia supported by Iran is also coming up. The cabinet came together in the capital Beirut to a session in which the question should be discussed. Government circles said in the evening, the discussion should be postponed to next week. Finally, the pressure from the United States has increased to drive disarmed with concrete steps.

Before the recent war with Israel, the Shiite organization was one of the most armed non-governmental actors worldwide. In the meantime, it has been significantly weakened and also shrunk its arsenal. President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nauaf Salam as well as the United States and Israel, demand that the Hisbollah give all their weapons to the state army. The Hisbollah rejects this as long as Israel’s troops are stationed in Lebanon and Israel attacks goals in the country.

Since the beginning of the Gaza War in October 2023, Israel and the Hisbollah have had a mutual fire that has developed into a war on its own, parallel. Israel marched into the neighboring country with soil troops and bombed massive destinations, especially in the Beirut area, in the south and east. The Hisbollah in turn attacked destinations in Israel.

Heisbollah does not want to agree to any specific schedule

A ceasefire came into force at the end of November. According to this agreement, the Hisbollah is to be disarmed in the south and near the border with Israel. The Hisbollah is open to talks about its arsenal, but does not want to agree to any specific schedule as long as Israel’s attacks in Lebanon are ongoing and its troops are not deducted. This was confirmed today in a speech-covered speech.

Israel’s military attacks almost every day in Lebanon on the grounds that they want to enforce disarm. Israel’s soldiers are also stationed at five posts in the South Libanon.

Hezbollah boss: “Win together or lose together”

Among other things, the demand for the United States to disarm the organization across the country is politically highly risky. The Hisbollah has hundreds of thousands of supporters and still great influence, especially in the Shiite community. If a decision on the disarmament, Hisbollah members – who is also a political party in addition to a militia – could leave the government in protest. Therefore, there are fears that the Lebanon could slip into the next political crisis in such a scenario.

From this argument, all of Lebanon will emerge either as a winner or as a loser, said Kassim. “We will all win together or lose together.”

Some supporters of the Hisbollah were on the evening with flags from the organization in the Beirut area. Troops from the Libanese army were used to prevent the wearing of these flags.