Kataeb Party leader Sami Gemayel told a delegation from the Lebanese Press Editors’ Syndicate that Lebanon’s Shi’ite population should carry out an intifada against Hezbollah, according to Lebanese media reports. Gemayel stated that the Shi’ite community is being held hostage to Hezbollah and viewed as victims of the group, while also noting that Lebanon cannot solve its ongoing conflict alone.
Sami Gemayel Calls for Shi’ite Uprising Against Hezbollah
According to Lebanese media reports, Kataeb Party (Lebanese Social Democratic Party) leader Sami Gemayel addressed a delegation from the Lebanese Press Editors’ Syndicate regarding the political and security landscape in Lebanon. L’Orient Today reported that Gemayel suggested the Shi’ite population is held hostage by Hezbollah, prompting his call for an “intifada” (uprising) against the group. Gemayel emphasized that there is no solution to the conflict that Lebanon could solve on its own.
Regional Dynamics and Hezbollah Disarmament Developments
Gemayel’s comments coincided with reports indicating that mutually agreed-upon third nations would monitor and verify the disarmament of Hezbollah. Although Gemayel is a supporter of the US-backed peace framework for Beirut and Jerusalem, he acknowledged that the situation remains dependent on wider regional developments, specifically involving Iran. Hezbollah is backed by Iran and maintains loyalty to the ayatollah as a central pillar of its ideology under Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist). Gemayel stated that the group will continue to act on Tehran’s instructions, tying Lebanon’s stability directly to regional factors.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri Rejects Community Engagement
In an effort to address the situation, Gemayel approached Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss engaging with the Shi’ite community to create a separation between it and Hezbollah. However, Berri was quick to shut down the discussion, according to the available reports. Berri serves as the leader of the Amal Movement and is closely allied with Hezbollah. Researchers, including Lebanese researcher Hanin Ghaddar, have written extensively about how Hezbollah has bolstered Berri’s political position.