Bassil urges Hezbollah to admit its arms have become 'a burden'

Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil considered, amid domestic and American pressure to disarm Hezbollah, that it is time for the group to admit that its arms have become a burden to Lebanon.

"I call on Hezbollah to act responsibly and to admit that these arms have become a burden," Bassil said in an interview Thursday with Lebanese TV channel MTV, also urging the group to do some "serious thinking" and "not to buy time."

The Christian leader said that he supports peace but only fair peace, where Lebanon gets his full rights - to all its resources and territories - and is protected from Israeli attacks.

Israel has repeatedly struck south and east Lebanon and less frequently Beirut's southern suburbs despite a ceasefire reached in late November. The Israeli army is also still occupying in south Lebanon five hills it deems strategic.

Bassil said that Lebanon also can't make peace accords with Israel alone and can only consider peace once there is a comprehensive Arab decision to normalize ties.

After several Arab-Israeli wars, Egypt was the first Arab state to recognize Israel diplomatically in 1979. It was followed by Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. In October 2023, Saudi Arabia suspended talks on the possible normalization of relations with Israel, following the Israeli war on Gaza.