Salam: Hezbollah must become a normal political party

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that “Hezbollah must become a normal political party without an armed wing.”

“There will be no backing down from the state’s monopolization of military force,” Salam added, in an interview with French magazine Paris Match.

"I believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views war as if it’s like riding a bicycle: if you stop, you'll fall. That's why I'm worried about the situation. On the border with Lebanon, we're facing a war of attrition -- not a full-scale war, but a war that exhausts everyone,” Salam added.

As for the possibility of a near-term peace between Lebanon and Israel, he said: "Let's be realistic. We previously held negotiations with Israel, particularly regarding the demarcation of the maritime border two years ago. So, this is nothing new. What we're demanding today is the full implementation of the ceasefire declared last November, which is yet to be respected. The Israelis have not fully withdrawn; they still occupy a number of positions in the south and hold Lebanese prisoners. For a ceasefire to be effective, it must be implemented, not just declared."

Regarding the timeline for the Lebanese Army’s weapons monopolization plan, he explained: "At least, this is our goal in the area south of the Litani River -- the plan will be implemented in phases. In the first three months, the focus will be on arms control: preventing the transfer or use of weapons south of the Litani. Then the second phase will begin, covering the area between the Litani and Sidon."

He pointed out that "the ultimate goal is clear: restoring the state's monopoly over armed force, as stipulated in the 1989 Taif Agreement."

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that brought to an end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah that culminated in two months of open war.

As part of that deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah was to dismantle its forces in the region.

Under U.S. pressure and fearing an escalation of Israeli strikes, the Lebanese government has moved to begin disarming Hezbollah, a plan which the movement and its allies oppose.