Lebanese politician says ‘era of weapons outside the state’ has ended
Lebanese MP Fouad Makhzoumi welcomed the 45-day extension of the ceasefire with Israel, saying it marked a step toward restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and ending the role of weapons outside state control.
“The era of weapons outside the state has ended, and the era of Lebanon reclaiming its full sovereignty has begun,” Makhzoumi wrote on X.
His comments were aimed at Iran-backed Hezbollah, whose independent military power has long been at the center of Lebanon’s sovereignty dispute.
Makhzoumi, a Beirut member of parliament and founder of the National Dialogue Party, said the ceasefire extension and the launch of political and security tracks under US sponsorship in Washington were an “advanced step” toward strengthening the Lebanese state and making the army the sole authority responsible for protecting the country’s borders, land and people.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was extended by 45 days after talks in Washington, with further negotiations expected in early June, according to the US State Department.
US and Israeli pressure on Beirut has focused in part on disarming Hezbollah, while previous ceasefire arrangements and UN resolutions have called for the disarmament of armed groups outside the Lebanese state.
Hezbollah has not been a direct party to the Israel-Lebanon talks, leaving its weapons and military autonomy a central obstacle to any lasting settlement.