US presses Lebanon to assert sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah

The US State Department said on Thursday that it was closely monitoring calls in south Lebanon for the Lebanese state to begin disarming Hezbollah.

The State Department urged the Lebanese government "to formulate a plan for disarmament in all Lebanese territory, as laid out in the Trilateral Framework," signed in June by Israel, the US, and Lebanon.

The State Department also called on the Lebanese government to assert sovereignty over southern Lebanon and prevent Hezbollah from using the communities as operating bases for attacks against Israel.

The US Embassy in Lebanon echoed those calls, urging the Lebanese state to "ensure that the decisions of war and peace lie exclusively with the Lebanese state."

Hezbollah MPs roundly condemned the US for "interfering in Lebanese affairs."

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said Hezbollah was more concerned with "confronting the occupation," but did address the calls from Lebanese Shia for support, saying, “We are not abandoning our responsibilities, we are doing everything possible in this field, and God willing, we will reach a stage where we can alleviate this pain for our people."

His statements confirm suspicions that Hezbollah is facing a mounting financial crisis that has prevented it from supporting Lebanese Shia displaced by the fighting as it has traditionally done.