Hezbollah Welcomes Lebanese Military Plan, Urges Israel To Stop Attacks

JAKARTA - Hezbollah's official, Mahmoud Qmati, said the group considered the cabinet meeting regarding the military plan to form a monopoly on weapons as an opportunity to return to wisdom and common sense while preventing the country from falling into uncertainty.

The Lebanese Cabinet on Friday, September 5, welcomed a military plan that would strip Him of weapons and said the military would start implementing it, without setting an implementation period and warning the military had limited capabilities.

However, it said Israel's ongoing military operations in Lebanon would hamper military progress.

Reported by Reuters on Saturday, September 6, Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos did not say the cabinet officially approved the plan.

Qmat told Reuters Hezbollah had reached its assessment based on a government statement on Friday, further implementation of the US roadmap on the matter relies on Israel's commitment.

He said without Israel stopping attacks and withdrawing troops from southern Lebanon, the implementation of the plan in Lebanon must remain suspended until further notice.

The Lebanese cabinet last month commissioned the military to formulate a plan that would form a monopoly on the state's arsenal and approved a US roadmap aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's weapons in exchange for the cessation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Qmat said Hezbollah "firmly rejected" the two decisions and hoped the Lebanese government would formulate a national defense strategy.

Last week, Israel signaled it would reduce its military presence in southern Lebanon if the military took action to defuse Hezbollah's weapons. Meanwhile, Israel continued to launch attacks, killing four people on Wednesday.

The national divide over Hezbollah's arms cuts has been in the spotlight in Lebanon since a devastating war last year with Israel, which overturns a balance of forces that has long been dominated by Iran-backed Shia Muslim groups.

Lebanon is under pressure from the US, Saudi Arabia, and domestic rivals Hezbollah to strip the group of weapons. But Hezbollah has refused, saying discussing weapons cuts would be a serious mistake while Israel continued to launch airstrikes in Lebanon and occupy most areas in the south.

Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, last month raised the issue of civil war, warned the government against trying to confront the group and said street protests might occur.