Arab League shifts position on Hezbollah
The Arab League says it has decided to remove Hezbollah from its blacklist, as conditions for establishing relations with the Lebanese resistance movement have been met, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement aired on Egyptian Al-Qahera News, Arab League assistant secretary-general Hossam Zaki said that the member states “agreed that the label of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation should no longer be employed.”
“In previous Arab League decisions, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organisation, and this designation was reflected in the resolutions, leading to the severing of communication based on these decisions.”
In March 2016, the Arab League accused Hezbollah of “promoting extremism and sectarianism”, and “meddling in the internal affairs of countries”. However, the allegation was met with objections from Lebanon and Iraq.
On Friday, Lebanon’s media reported that Zaki held a meeting with Muhammad Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc in the capital Beirut. The meeting marked the first contact between the Arab League and the resistance movement in over a decade.
According to Haaretz, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, “While he prefers to reach a diplomatic agreement with Hezbollah, Israel’s defence establishment is preparing for a potential attack in Lebanon.”
Gallant added: “Our choices are significant, and we’re ready for each one. We are preparing our defensive and offensive capabilities — and this whole thing can happen very quickly.”
On the other hand, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called to take immediate steps to tackle the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as its proxies, including a “sharp, quick war” against Hezbollah.
Extraordinary session called
Meanwhile, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the League of Arab States, Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, on Sunday announced that his country has submitted a request to convene an extraordinary session of the Council of the Arab League at the level of permanent representatives, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2024