FM Rajji at Arab League meeting: Hezbollah ignored Lebanese interests, government and people not responsible

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said that Hezbollah had disregarded Lebanon’s national interests, stressing that the Lebanese government and people are not responsible for the group’s actions.

Rajji made the remarks during an extraordinary virtual meeting of the Council of the Arab League at the level of foreign ministers, which was convened to discuss attacks targeting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Arab states in light of recent Iranian strikes.

In his address, Rajji expressed Lebanon’s strong condemnation of Iranian attacks that targeted several countries, including Jordan and Iraq as well as Gulf states. He described the attacks as unacceptable under all international standards and stressed that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure must be condemned in the strongest terms.

The Lebanese minister also reaffirmed Lebanon’s full solidarity with these countries and their peoples, emphasizing Beirut’s support for efforts to confront threats to their security and stability.

Addressing the internal situation in Lebanon, Rajji reviewed a decision taken by the Lebanese government during an emergency meeting following rocket launches by Hezbollah toward Israel. The decision includes banning the party’s military and security activities and obliging it to hand over its weapons immediately without delay.

Rajji expressed deep regret that Hezbollah had once again ignored Lebanon’s supreme national interests in favor of external agendas. He said the group had engaged in defending Iran and dragged Lebanon into a war unrelated to its interests, triggering harsh Israeli military operations against Lebanese areas.

He added that Hezbollah acts independently of the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions, emphasizing that both the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people are innocent of the group’s actions and their consequences.

Rajji concluded his remarks by thanking Arab countries for their continued solidarity with Lebanon during its difficult times.