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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah signaled that it is willing to discuss its role in Lebanon’s defense. According to a Reuters report, a Hezbollah official said that it is willing to discuss its weapons with the Lebanese government on the condition that Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory and ceases its air strikes in Lebanon. Hezbollah controlled media later denied the report. Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah politician, said that the group is ready to meet with the government to discuss “a national defense strategy.” The news comes amid growing calls for Hezbollah to disarm as Israel continues carrying out strikes in Lebanese territory. The head of the Maronite Church, Patriarch al-Rai called for a state-monopoly on weapons. Kemal Shehedi, a Christian politician, called for the group to disarm within six months. In another possible sign of Hezbollah’s weakness, the Lebanese news channel Al-Jadeed reported that the Lebanese Army entered into Hezbollah military camps north of the Litani River as the group withdrew from the area. Lebanese officials denied a report in Saudi media that Hezbollah smuggled arms from Iran through the Beirut port as recently as February. The Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath claimed that it received intelligence from a “Western” source on the matter. Since the fall of the Assad regime in neighboring Syria, Hezbollah’s traditional arms smuggling routes have been diminished.
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