Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said Hezbollah "must realize that its military situation is has ended," but added that it would be "a mistake for anyone to think they can eliminate Hezbollah's political wing."
As for the threats made by the party's deputy political council head, Mahmoud Qmati, Bassil said: "He is condemning himself because he is participating in the government and granted it a vote of confidence. Any threat to the Lebanese people, especially from someone who bears arms, is unacceptable."
"We reject Hezbollah's threats of civil war or retaliatory action against people who hold political opinions. At the same time, incitement against Hezbollah's support base is unacceptable. Lebanon's greatest strength lies in how we deal with each other during times of crisis," Bassil added.
Responding to some MPs' claims that the cost of disarming Hezbollah domestically would be less than the cost of a war with Israel, Bassil pointed out that "there's a common saying that (ex-)President Michel Aoun often repeated: 'One hundred days of fighting against a foreign enemy are better than one day of fighting within the country.'"
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