‘No chance of normalization with Israel, we’re officially at war,’ Lebanon FM says

Lebanon’s foreign minister, Youssef Rajji, said Tuesday that there is no chance of amending the law banning normalization with Israel, stressing that Lebanon is “officially at war” with the Jewish state.

“There is no possibility of correcting the law that prohibits normalization with Israel. We are formally in a state of war,” Rajji said, speaking amid denials in Lebanon that a Hezbollah terrorist killed in an Israeli strike this week also served in Lebanese army intelligence.

2 View gallery Lebanon’s foreign minister, Youssef Rajji ( Photo: Reuters/Alaa Al Sukhni )

At the same time, Rajji said Lebanon also faces a serious problem with Iran. “Iran is not our enemy, but we have deep issues with it,” he said. “The Iranians are directly involved in arming and financing an illegal armed organization in our country.”

Rajji said Lebanon seeks peace with all countries, provided its sovereignty is respected and there is no interference in its internal affairs. He added that it is premature to speak about rebuilding the country because the war has not yet ended.

Addressing the issue of disarming Hezbollah, Rajji said Lebanon wants to see it happen. “The security of the state requires dismantling Hezbollah’s security and military arms, not just disarmament,” he said. “The Lebanese people want Hezbollah to be disarmed.”

However, he acknowledged that the Lebanese army faces a difficult task in confronting the group. “Hezbollah’s leaders say there will be no disarmament north of the Litani River,” Rajji said. “Hezbollah uses the confrontation with Israel as an excuse to keep its weapons and preserve its future dominance in the country.”

He accused Hezbollah of attempting to buy time in hopes of a change in the U.S. administration and of trying to extort the Lebanese government by raising the specter of civil war. “That is unacceptable,” he said.

Rajji’s comments came as Lebanese officials denied Israeli claims that a Hezbollah terrorist killed Monday in an airstrike near Sidon was also serving in the Lebanese army. Lebanon’s Defense Ministry accused media outlets of waging an attack against the army and undermining the loyalty of its soldiers.

2 View gallery Three Hezbollah eliminated in an Israeli airstrike on Monday ( Photo: IDF )

Defense Minister Michel Menassa said suggestions that army personnel are linked to political or armed groups amount to a “malicious attack” on the institution and serve Lebanon’s enemies.

Meanwhile, Lebanese army commander Rudolph Haikal said the military is close to completing the first phase of its deployment plan in southern Lebanon and is assessing the requirements for subsequent stages based on conditions on the ground.

Earlier Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said the airstrike killed Ali Abdullah, a Hezbollah terrorist who the IDF said also served in Lebanese army intelligence. Two additional Hezbollah operatives were killed in the strike: Mustafa Balout, whom Israel identified as active in Hezbollah’s air defense network in the Sidon area, and Hassan Hamdan.