Lebanon’s foreign minister on Thursday defended Hezbollah’s presence in the region, but said Lebanon “has no say in the decision to go to war” with Israel.
In an interview with CNBC’s Dan Murphy, Abdallah Bou Habib vowed to support the U.S.-French-brokered ceasefire, which is already showing signs of tension, and said he would seek foreign funding to help rebuild Lebanon. Ta.
“We support Hezbollah, but as Lebanese we do not support war. The government had no say in the decision to go to war, and we have to admit that.”
Hezbollah, which operates as both a political party and a militia, is accused of dragging Lebanon, a country of more than 5 million people, into a war it did not want to fight with Israel. Iran-backed militias officially hold 13 seats, but they have a broad alliance that holds 62 seats in Lebanon’s 128-seat parliament and also control most of Lebanon’s borders and airports. .
“Iran has influence in Lebanon through Hezbollah,” Bou Habib told CNBC, adding, “But Hezbollah does not run Lebanon.” “This government is not under Iranian influence. Iran has allies in Lebanon, there is no doubt about that.”
Will the ceasefire hold?
Hezbollah called the cease-fire agreement “loyal” after the French-American-brokered deal went into effect on Wednesday and allowed the return of displaced Israelis and Lebanese after 14 months of brutal conflict. “We will implement the measures,” Bou Habib said.
Both Israel and Hezbollah accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement less than 48 hours after it was agreed.
Bou Habib said Lebanon was “ready, willing and determined” to implement UN resolution 1701. Resolution 1701 aims to ensure Israel’s withdrawal from the south and move Hezbollah north of the Litani River. Since 1701, the area has been under the control of the Lebanese Army and will be under the jurisdiction of United Nations peacekeeping forces. Under the current ceasefire agreement, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and Hezbollah from southern Lebanon is to be phased in over the next 60 days, and US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein told CNBC on Wednesday that this would be permanent. He said he hopes it will become a reality.
The Lebanese Cabinet also reaffirmed its commitment to 1701, which calls for “the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon,” including Hezbollah, based on previous UN Security Council resolutions.
The Foreign Minister said: “As long as we occupy the land, it is not difficult, perhaps impossible, not to resist, that is, to resist militarily. So we have to fix the border with Israel. That’s what we do,” he warned. Once you have to fix them permanently. ”
“The occupied territory the foreign minister is referring to is the Shebaa Farms,” Lebanese political analyst Ronny Chater told CNBC. “We consider the Golan Heights and Lebanon to be annexed. Of course we will return.” It then chose to go with Syria, which is not the point of having the largest militia on the planet. ”
political deadlock
The country was in political stalemate long before the war began. Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun retired in 2022, and the current government is an interim government.
Lebanon’s political system, held together by a sectarian power-sharing agreement that guarantees representation of the country’s diverse religious groups, has often been blamed for contributing to the impasse.
“I don’t claim that this government is trusted by all Lebanese, but it is trusted by most Lebanese,” Bou Habib told CNBC.
rebuilding lebanon
The World Bank estimates that the conflict has cost the Lebanese economy a total of $8.5 billion, including physical damage and economic losses.
Lebanon’s Economy Minister Amin Salam told CNBC earlier this month that the costs could be even higher, with cumulative losses to the economy as well as infrastructure and job losses reaching about $20 billion.
The World Bank also estimates that the current conflict could reduce “Lebanon’s real GDP growth by at least 6.6% in 2024.” Salam added that the country’s beleaguered economy could contract by up to 8-12% over the next year.
“The challenge of financing Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts is immense and urgent,” Laila Al-Amin, Mercy Corps’ Country Director for Lebanon, told CNBC.
“The conflict has caused extensive damage to roads, water systems, schools, hospitals and power plants, requiring significant resources, skilled labor and time to rebuild. Financing remains a significant hurdle as many have not yet been “paid,” Al-Amin added.
“We are receiving humanitarian assistance from all Gulf countries,” Bou Habib told CNBC.
Regarding additional financial support, he added: “We have not yet started discussions on additional support for rebuilding and rebuilding Lebanon’s infrastructure. We will implement it immediately and see what happens.”
Gulf Arab states helped rebuild Lebanon after the 2006 war, but years of economic decline and Hezbollah’s emboldening may now deter the international community, especially the Middle East, from helping Lebanon rebuild at great expense. There is sex.
