As Israel continues to pound southern Lebanon, parliament speaker Nabih Berri issued a statement critical of the panel meant to oversee the existing ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, saying they’re failing to do their job.
The body was mandated, Berri notes, to “not only to monitor violations but also to prevent them and ensure compliance.” Instead, Israel launches daily attacks with impunity, and when asked about the Israeli threats of a new war, Berri said that the last war never really ended, referring to the 2024 invasion as an “ongoing war.”
Most Lebanese officials have been complaining about the repeated Israeli attacks, noting the Lebanese side is complying with the ceasefire. Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, however, stepped outside of what is a more or less universal position within Lebanon to claim he believes Israel “retains the right to continue its attacks in accordance with this agreement.”
Aftermath of an Israeli strike near Beirut 7/3/25 | Image from Reuters
That’s the argument Israel has been making, certainly, but Raggi’s position seems to be based on his own agenda of wanting to see Hezbollah fully disarmed nationwide, while the ceasefire only actually requires disarmament south of the Litani River, which the Lebanese government has confirmed they did.
Raggi’s comments quickly led to condemnation across the board, but particularly among Shi’ite groups that dominate southern Lebanon, which is the area that’s in Israel’s sights. Shi’ite cleric Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan said the foreign minister was supposed to “protect the interests of Lebanon, not to protect the interests of Israel.”
The Amal Movement, a political faction with substantial representation in parliament, also called for Raggi to be held to account for his comments, which are contrary to the position of more or less everyone else in the government.
Hezbollah political official Mahmoud Qmati made the most serious comments in an interview with RT, saying that Lebanon trying to monopolize arms in the entire country, including the north, would “lead Lebanon to instability, chaos and perhaps even civil war.”
The government has taken the position that it wants to disarm Hezbollah nationwide, though the exact process is still uncertain. They were able to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani as per the ceasefire terms, but the Army has been reluctant to try to advance a disarmament plan elsewhere, because they’re not certain they actually can if Hezbollah doesn’t allow it, and Hezbollah has said they won’t allow it.
The Lebanese Army’s inability to disarm Hezbollah is theory has led Israeli officials to suggest they have to intervene to do so. US Envoy Tom Barrack has warned that he doesn’t think the Israeli military can forcibly disarm Hezbollah in the first place, but Israel seems determined to continue to use this as a pretext for further attacks, and Foreign Minister Raggi’s comments, suggesting that would be Israel’s right, suggests a major controversy within the Lebanese cabinet.
