The head of a political party and a Christian coalition group in Lebanon calls on the US and its Western allies to intervene and deploy deterrents to permanently dismantle Hezbollah.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Ibrahim Mrad, chairman of the Universal Syriac Union Party and secretary general of the Lebanese Christian Front, said now is the time for the US, Britain and Germany to send troops in coordination with the United Nations and United Nations. , together with the Lebanese army, finally dismantle the terrorist group supported by Iran.
“If that were to be postponed, the Mullah could again gain more power, and that will again be impossible (to dismantle Hezbollah),” Mrad said through a translator, referring to the Islamic Republic’s leaders. It is led by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mourners raise their hands and chant slogans during a funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed in an Israeli attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, September 21, 2024. (Associated Press)
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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed early last month that Hezbollah had been “defeated” in Lebanon after just over a month of targeted attacks aimed at destroying the terrorist group’s strongholds in southern Lebanon and in the capital Beirut, mainly in the suburb of Dahiyeh.
A shaky thirteen-point ceasefire was then agreed at the end of last month between Israel and Hezbollah that largely ended the attacks, although periodic attacks have since been carried out by both sides.
But reports this month suggested that US intelligence officials believe that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has not taken any steps to dismantle its military operations in Lebanon – a key pillar of the deal – and that it is likely to do so to rebuild its forces and supplies.
Lebanese Christian Syriac Catholic scouts carry a statue of the Virgin Mary during a procession marking the month of the Virgin Mary in a Christian-dominated neighborhood of Beirut on May 27, 2016. The Syriac Catholic Church belongs to the See of Antioch and expands traces its roots back to the origins of Christianity in the Levant. (Photo by PATRICK BAZ/AFP via Getty Images)
US intelligence showed that Hezbollah continued to recruit its ranks even as the country took heavy blows from Israel through November. It has also been reported that the country is attempting to rearm itself through domestic production and smuggling efforts through Syria, although it is unclear how these efforts have been affected by the deteriorating situation in the neighboring country during the past week.
The Christian Front led by Mrad said this during a meeting at headquarters in Beirut’s Achrafieh neighborhood earlier this month that they do not believe the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah will last. It therefore urges Lebanese parliamentarians to request the deployment of international troops amid “the expected failure of the ceasefire agreement.”
Ibrahim Mrad, Chairman of the Universal Syrian Union Party and Secretary General of the United Nations, December 6, 2024.
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Mrad explained to Fox News Digital that while he estimates roughly 70% of the country does not support Hezbollah, the government and military are not strong enough to completely dismantle the terrorist group or prevent it from posing a future threat to Israel . , a situation that entails a repeat of previous failures.
Previous international agreements under UN Resolution 1559, signed in 2004, and Resolution 1701, signed in 2006, called for the disarmament and disbandment of all militia groups and for the deployment of UN and Lebanese forces to the south of the country to prevent Hezbollah from gaining control in the areas bordering Israel. Both resolutions were not realized.
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, November 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
“We now know that in this situation the Lebanese army would not be able to implement Resolution 1559 to force Hezbollah to drop its weapons,” Mrad told Fox News Digital through a translator. “That’s why our request for help comes from the United Nations. They could come in and implement these two resolutions… (but) we want Americans, Germans and British to be in these forces.”
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the State Department for comment on whether the U.S. has been contacted by Lebanon about a request to deploy U.S. troops.
Concerns in Beirut that the ceasefire will fail coincided with threats made this week by the Israeli Defense Minister that Jerusalem no longer distinguish between Lebanon and Hezbollah should the terrorist group break the agreement.
A convoy of vehicles from the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon travels through the Marjayoun area of southern Lebanon on December 4, 2024, during a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (Getty Images)
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When asked about the warning Katz issued last week, the Lebanese Christian leader said this approach would be a “mistake” that could turn the tide against Jerusalem.
“If they do that, the Lebanese people will be against Israel. As I said before, most people now are against Hezbollah, not against Israel,” he said.
“If they attack civilians, it will be a mistake,” he added, noting that he did not believe Jerusalem would actually pursue non-Hezbollah targets.
