US Embassy says south Lebanon 'does not belong' to Hezbollah

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said Thursday that the Lebanese do not want Hezbollah to be armed and that south Lebanon does not belong to the Iran-backed group.

In a post on the X platform, the embassy "the United States applauds these communities and supports the government of Lebanon in its stated goal to assert sovereignty, enforced by the LAF, and ensure that the decisions of war and peace lie exclusively with the Lebanese state."

"Every day, the Lebanese people make it clear they prefer Lebanese state institutions over Hizballah’s weapons. Southern Lebanon does not belong to regional actors or militias," the U.S. Embassy said.

In an online petition posted this week, nearly 400 Lebanese public figures, including legal experts and human rights advocates, called for Lebanon's army to be deployed in Nabatieh.

They also voiced concern over a possible "expansion of the Israeli occupation" toward the city, which is about 11 kilometers from the Israeli border.

"This city does not belong to any political group," added the signatories, referring to Hezbollah, which is well established in Nabatieh.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Lebanese army said its units were "deployed in all areas that Israel does not occupy, particularly in the Nabatieh region".

The army on Wednesday accused Israel of a deadly escalation and said the continued Israeli attacks "threaten existing understandings and arrangements, and hinder the army's efforts to establish stability" in the region.