Lebanon is at a “historic moment” that requires a clear decision about the authority of the State and the role of armed groups, Marwan Abdallah said in media interviews.

Speaking to Radio Télévision Suisse, Abdallah said Lebanon must decide whether it will operate as a sovereign State or allow outside actors to influence its decisions.

“This is a historic moment for Lebanon,” Abdallah said. “We have to decide whether we want to be a real sovereign State or an immature nation that lets another country make decisions for it.”

He said the Kataeb Party believes the current situation offers an opportunity to address the long-standing issue of Hezbollah’s illegal weapons.

“As a political party—and as members of the government—we believe the time has come to resolve the issue of Hezbollah once and for all,” he said.

Abdallah also commented on the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces, describing it as an institution that operates under the authority of the government.

“The army in Lebanon is essentially an administrative institution,” he said. “In other Arab countries, the army often serves as a tool to protect the ruling regime. In Lebanon, that’s not the case. The army’s role is to enforce the law, not to intervene in the government’s political decisions.”

In a separate interview with L'Orient-Le Jour, Abdallah dismissed reports suggesting that Syria might seek to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs.

“This is pure propaganda orchestrated by Hezbollah,” he said.

Abdallah said Ahmed al-Sharaa had assured the leader of the Kataeb Party that he has no intention of interfering in Lebanon.

According to Abdallah, al-Sharaa was surprised that such claims were circulating so widely in Lebanon.

“He was surprised to hear these rumors spreading in Lebanon,” Abdallah said, noting that al-Sharaa has troops deployed along the Lebanese border just as he does along the Iraqi border. “Yet you don’t hear the same rumors on the Iraqi side.”