The Lebanese government has decided on the “immediate ban” of Hezbollah’s military and security activities and to “oblige” the group to surrender its weapons to the state, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on Monday.
The government’s unprecedented move targeting Hezbollah, which is represented in both the government and parliament, came hours after the Iran-backed terrorist organization announced it had launched rockets and drones towards Israel early Monday to avenge the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli attacks Saturday.
After an emergency cabinet meeting, Salam said:
The Lebanese state declares its absolute and unequivocal rejection of any military or security actions launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of its legitimate institutions.
This necessitates the immediate prohibition of all of Hezbollah’s security and military activities, considering them to be outside the law, and obliging it to hand over its weapons.
