Head of the Kataeb’s Economic and Social Council Jean Tawile on Thursday deemed Hezbollah as "state within a state”, saying that it has its own economic, social and health institutions, such as cooperative institutions, hospitals, fuel stations, and others.

“Hezbollah’s economy is the pillar of the parallel economy and it is separated from the Lebanese constitutional and financial institutions,” Tawile said in an interview with Manateq.net website.

“Based on the figures of the International Monetary Fund, before 2019, the proportion of the parallel economy was 35%, but after 2019, the economy turned almost completely into a cash economy that allows Hezbollah to extend its control over the economy in general and over its environment in a way especially since this party has a financial capability,” he noted.

“Despite the impact of Hezbollah's control on the isolation of Lebanon from the global economy, this armed militia is extending its control over Lebanon and over its environment through the economy,” he added.

“Since Lebanon's economy has become similar to Hezbollah’s parallel economy, Hezbollah has become attached to people’s necessities to the extent that it took control over them by imposing educational methods even in public schools,” he concluded.