Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Raggi reaffirmed on Thursday the government's commitment to addressing the issue of illegal arms, aiming to extend state authority across all Lebanese territory
Speaking at the 164th session of the Arab League Council in Cairo, Raggi described Lebanon’s recent decision to confine all weapons to state authority as “historic,” emphasizing that the move began with the handover of Palestinian arms to Lebanese authorities and would extend to other armed groups.
He said the step was designed to consolidate Lebanon’s sovereignty across all its territory. He dismissed any foreign interference in what he called a sovereign matter and urged Arab states to lend their “strong support.”
In parallel, Raggi reaffirmed Lebanon’s readiness to cooperate with Syria on longstanding disputes, including border demarcation, smuggling, missing detainees and the refugee crisis. He outlined the government’s reform program and appealed for renewed Arab investment to bolster Lebanon’s economy within the framework of deeper Arab economic partnerships.
He criticized Israel for repeatedly violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and last November’s ceasefire agreement, despite Lebanon’s deployment of its army in the south and efforts to disarm illegal groups. The minister called on the international community to pressure Israel into halting its attacks, withdrawing from the points where it still maintains a presence at the border and respecting Lebanese sovereignty.
Raggi also reiterated Beirut’s rejection of Palestinian naturalization.
In its final statement, the Arab League Council expressed solidarity with Lebanon. It endorsed the government’s decision to place all weapons under state control, welcomed the start of the Palestinian arms handover and called for Arab support to ensure its completion. Member states also pledged to assist Lebanon in facing its economic crisis and condemned Israel’s ongoing assaults, stressing the importance of implementing Resolution 1701.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharp condemnation of Israeli strikes on southern towns that left civilian casualties. It said the attacks endangered UN peacekeepers and violated Resolution 1701 and the truce agreement of November 27. The ministry reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to UNIFIL’s mission, stressing that targeting peacekeepers amounts to a direct assault on efforts to protect civilians.
The attacks were also condemned by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
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