Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on March 2 that Hezbollah’s “military and security” activities are banned in the country after the Iran-backed terrorist group opened fire on northern Israel.
“The Lebanese state declares its absolute rejection, leaving no room for ambiguity or interpretation, of any military or security actions launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of its legitimate institutions,” he said in a post on X.
“This necessitates the immediate prohibition of all Hezbollah security and military activities as they are deemed outside the law, and obliges it to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state and to confine its role to political activity within constitutional and legal frameworks.”
He rejected and condemned the rocket operation, which he said “contradicts the principle that the decision of war and peace is exclusively vested in the Lebanese state alone.”
The prime minister said Hezbollah must hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state “and confine its role to political activity within constitutional and legal frameworks.”
He also called for a clear and final commitment from “the Israeli side to stop all attacks across all Lebanese territory.”
Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute, a think tank, said the government’s decision was historic but that implementing it could be a challenge.
“A clash is possible, and maybe a clash here and there is necessary if the state is going to behave like a state and implement its laws,” Salem said.
“The state is not interested in confrontation—they are very aware of the risks, and they are not going to seek a broad confrontation—but this sends an important signal to Hezbollah that they have gone way beyond the pale.”
The Lebanese government took office one year ago and has sought Hezbollah’s disarmament.
The army has made progress in areas near the Israeli border, where the group has not obstructed the government’s efforts to clear weapons caches as required under the terms of a U.S.-backed cease-fire brokered after the 2024 Hezbollah–Israel conflict.
Hezbollah Fires on Israel
Hezbollah, founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1982, had opened fire on northern Israel on March 1, which it said was to avenge the death of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli military missile defense facility south of Haifa. The Israeli military said several projectiles had fallen in open areas, and one was intercepted by the air force.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, “Shortly after Hezbollah fired the rocket projectiles, we launched a preliminary and widespread wave of airstrikes in Beirut and also in southern Lebanon, where we targeted leaderships in the organization, headquarters, and terrorist infrastructure.”
The IDF said in a post on X that Hezbollah “is operating on behalf of the Iranian regime, opening fire against the Israeli civilians, and bringing ruin to Lebanon.”
It stated that the IDF has been prepared for such an attack and is “prepared for an all-fronts scenario.”
