Lebanese PM Calls for Israeli Withdrawal, State Monopoly on Arms

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, addressing the UN General Assembly, outlined three "existential challenges" facing his government. These include restoring public trust after the financial collapse and the 2020 Beirut port explosion, regaining control over state decisions, and liberating territories from Israeli presence. Mikati emphasized the state's exclusive right to possess weapons, asserting that only state armed forces should be armed and that decisions regarding war cannot be made by non-state actors. He stated that the return of all territories under full Lebanese sovereignty relies on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted after the 2006 war, which called for the disarmament of Hezbollah and its withdrawal north of the Litani River. The Prime Minister also urged the prevention of a "security vacuum" that could emerge following the planned withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) from southern Lebanon by year's end. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that Lebanon and UNIFIL have failed to enforce Resolution 1701. An interim agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon in June, stipulating that the Lebanese army would gradually assume control of the south as Hezbollah disarms and Israeli forces withdraw. However, the implementation of this agreement is progressing slowly, with Israel indicating its intention to maintain its presence until Hezbollah ceases to be a threat.