MP Nadim Gemayel clarified that while he may understand the fears driving Hezbollah’s insistence on retaining its weapons, that understanding does not equate to agreement or acceptance of the group’s position.

Speaking in an interview with Al Jadeed TV, the Kataeb lawmaker said his recent remarks had been misinterpreted as supportive of Hezbollah’s armed posture.

“I understand the fear and the instinct to hold onto weapons for self-defense, but that doesn’t mean I accept it, or believe the group is right, or that this is the correct stance,” Gemayel said. “I reject the idea that any group should be allowed to bear arms.”

Gemayel recalled that the Kataeb Party had urged Hezbollah back in 2011 not to intervene in the Syrian conflict, warning at the time that doing so could draw Sunni extremism into Lebanon.

“Hezbollah chose to get involved, and in doing so, turned the conflict into a sectarian one,” he said. “The fears we see today are a direct consequence of that decision.”

He stressed that it is the state’s responsibility to address such fears and manage the concerns of Lebanon’s diverse communities.

“All Lebanese factions have their own fears, and we must understand them all,” Gemayel said. “But it is the role of the state to handle these concerns. It is not for each party to deal with its fears on its own.”

The lawmaker concluded with a sharp critique of the Lebanese government’s inaction.

“I don’t feel that the state is playing any role or doing anything to dispel the fears spreading among the Lebanese,” he said.