Geagea Says Lasting Peace in Lebanon Requires Hezbollah Disarmament

What happened

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has told Naharnet that Lebanon's crisis cannot be resolved by calls for an Israeli withdrawal and ceasefire alone, warning that sustainable peace requires addressing Hezbollah's arsenal through disarmament. Geagea described Hezbollah as a "statelet alongside the state" that unilaterally controls decisions of war and peace.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. He noted that previous ceasefires were ineffective because Hezbollah's armed presence remained unchallenged. Geagea warned that border occupation points, which he says have increased from five to fifty, could expand further to five hundred if underlying issues are ignored.

Geagea emphasized the humanitarian impact, highlighting that southerners displaced by conflict have suffered most, though the consequences extend across Lebanon. His remarks reflect long-standing political disagreements over Hezbollah's military role and the broader Lebanese state sovereignty.

Known from the source

• Samir Geagea is leader of the Lebanese Forces party.
• He made statements to Naharnet on Lebanon's security and political crisis.
• He stated that lasting peace requires both Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah disarmament.
• Geagea described Hezbollah as a parallel state actor influencing war and peace decisions.
• He claimed the number of occupied border points increased from five to fifty.

What remains unclear

The article does not provide independent confirmation of the claims regarding Hezbollah's arms or the number of occupied border points, which remain politically contested and not verified by third-party sources within the source context.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. The number of occupied border points increasing to fifty and projection to five hundred. Whether Hezbollah unilaterally dictates war and peace as stated. Independent verification of the claim that ceasefires failed due to ignoring Hezbollah's arms.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Naharnet Lebanon. Open the source.