FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators wave Lebanese flags during protests near the site of a blast at Beirut’s port area, Lebanon where 220 people were killed , 7000 were injured and 300, 000 became homeless after hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate that were illegally stored there by Hezbollah for use in bombs by its ally Syria’s dictator Bashar Al Assad were detonated on August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo
By Ali Hussein
In a recent televised interview, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, claimed that the justification for Hezbollah’s weapons persists as long as the Lebanese state does not fulfill its role in liberating occupied territory and deterring aggression. He pointed to ongoing Israeli aggression as the primary concern, warning that such aggression must not become a fait accompli.
But Sheikh al-Khatib is mistaken.
Before demanding that the Lebanese state “liberate” land occupied by Israel, he should ask Hezbollah why it has failed to regain the five strategic hills currently under Israeli control. In fact, Hezbollah has repeatedly lost ground, not gained it. After provoking the 2006 war with Israel, Lebanon lost the northern part of the town of Ghajar. And after igniting another conflict in 2023, Lebanon ended up losing even more territory—those five hills.
Sheikh al-Khatib also claimed that Hezbollah has implemented UN Resolution 1701. But all credible reports show that Hezbollah has not fully honored the resolution. The Lebanese Army has not yet taken full control of the border areas, and Hezbollah continues to operate independently, undermining the state’s sovereignty.
Let’s be clear: Hezbollah has become a catastrophic burden on Lebanon.
It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon’s economy has collapsed. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon ranks as the third most miserable country in the world—trailing only war-torn Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Lebanon was once known as the “Switzerland of the East.” Under Hezbollah, it has been reduced to a satellite of Iran.
To Iran, Hezbollah is not a Lebanese resistance—it is Iran in Lebanon.
The only authority who should decide Lebanon’s future is the state, led today by President Joseph Aoun. In his oath of office, President Aoun made it clear: only the state should bear arms in Lebanon. He also emphasized that while dialogue with Hezbollah may occur, the final word rests with the state.
But Hezbollah has never respected dialogue:
- In 2006, it launched a unilateral attack on Israel, breaching the national consensus and triggering a devastating war.
- In 2012, it violated the Baabda Declaration by sending thousands of fighters to support Bashar al-Assad, dragging Lebanon into Syria’s civil war and leaving us with over two million Syrian refugees.
- In 2023, Hezbollah again acted recklessly, launching attacks on Israel to support Hamas—an Iranian proxy—risking a war that Lebanon never chose.
Let us be truthful about Hezbollah’s purpose. It was never created to defend Lebanon or liberate Palestine. Its mission has always been to serve Iran’s regional ambitions. And Iran has never been interested in liberating Palestine—it has used the Palestinian cause as a tool to destabilize the region and extend its control through armed proxies like Hezbollah.
Now, with Assad weakened and Iran’s influence fading, Hezbollah stands more isolated than ever. This is Lebanon’s moment.
President Joseph Aoun is no ordinary leader. As a former Army Commander, he is respected, trusted, and uniquely qualified to guide Lebanon through this critical transition. His credibility with the Lebanese people gives him the moral authority to act, and his military experience gives him the strategic insight to address the Hezbollah issue.
Instead of defending Hezbollah’s weapons, Sheikh al-Khatib should turn his attention to our beloved Shiite community—our brothers and sisters—who have suffered more than anyone from Hezbollah’s reckless decisions.
It’s time to focus on rebuilding the tens of thousands of Shiite homes destroyed in wars Hezbollah provoked. It’s time to shift allegiance from Iran to Lebanon, from perpetual conflict to lasting peace.
Sheikh al-Khatib must recognize this reality: No international friend of Lebanon will help rebuild our nation so long as Hezbollah remains armed.
It is time for peace. It is time for prosperity. It is time to bury the culture of death and rise together as one Lebanese people.