BEIRUT / ISTANBUL 

Lebanon’s justice minister said Sunday that Hezbollah would be choosing “suicide” if it refuses to disarm, warning that the group would not be allowed to drag the country into the same fate.

“If Hezbollah chooses suicide by refusing to surrender its weapons, it will not be permitted to drag Lebanon and its people with it,” Adel Nassar wrote on X.

His remarks came two days ahead of a Cabinet session set to discuss state sovereignty and limiting arms to official security forces across Lebanese territory.

In a press conference on Friday, Nassar stated that no country can function in the presence of weapons beyond state control.

“There can be no real state in the presence of arms outside of legitimacy,” he added.

The minister warned that “illegal weapons have become a burden that threatens internal stability and opens the door to security, economic, and diplomatic disasters for which all Lebanese pay the price.”

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that his government would continue discussions next week on enforcing “exclusive sovereignty over all Lebanese territory by the state’s own forces” - a reference to Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said Wednesday that his group will not surrender its weapons “for the sake of Israel.”

“Disarmament is not a priority right now; the priority is reconstruction and ending the aggression,” he said.

On Thursday, President Joseph Aoun revealed during a speech at the Defense Ministry that the US had presented a series of proposals concerning weapons control.

“The American side submitted a set of ideas. We made substantial modifications, which we will present to the Cabinet next week,” he said.

He added that Lebanon demanded an immediate halt to Israeli attacks, Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, full enforcement of state authority, and the disarmament of all armed factions, including Hezbollah.

On Friday, Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal said the continued Israeli presence in southern Lebanon remains the only obstacle preventing the full deployment of Lebanese military units in the area.

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target activities of the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.