Justice Minister Adel Nassar said on Monday that Hezbollah’s arsenal has become a burden on both the group itself and Lebanon, arguing that it is time for all weapons outside state control to be surrendered.

Nassar, speaking in an interview with Al-Hadath, stressed that strengthening state institutions is essential to Lebanon’s stability.

“It is in Lebanon’s best interest to have a strong state,” he said, adding that Hezbollah’s weapons “no longer have a role and must be handed over.”

He described the group’s military capacity as counterproductive.

“Hezbollah’s weapons are a burden on the party and on Lebanon,” he said, insisting that the organization should surrender its arms “across all Lebanese territory.”

Nassar also rejected the notion that Hezbollah’s arsenal still functions as a defensive force.

“Hezbollah’s weapons are no longer resistance; they have become cross-border,” he said.

According to the minister, consolidating all weapons under state authority would ultimately benefit every actor in the country.

“Restricting arms to the state is in the interest of Hezbollah and of all Lebanese,” he noted.

Nassar said recent contacts with Damascus were constructive, emphasizing a shared willingness to cooperate on longstanding border issues. He said meetings with Syrian officials had been “positive,” adding that “there is genuine goodwill between Lebanon and Syria to cooperate regarding the border.”