Kataeb MP Salim Sayegh said Hezbollah has left the Lebanese state with no room to negotiate or concede after signing a ceasefire agreement and pledging to hand over its weapons, warning that the group’s continued refusal to disarm poses a serious threat to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

In an interview with Al-Hadath, Sayegh responded to recent remarks by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who argued that the Lebanese government would be making a mistake if it pursued concessions.

“Hezbollah left nothing for the Lebanese state to concede,” Sayegh said. “It gave up everything, and now that it has caught its breath, it raises its voice again, claiming the ceasefire applies only south of the Litani River, not north.”

Sayegh said Hezbollah’s stance demonstrates that the group has no intention of becoming a fully political party, as demanded by international resolutions, the international community, and the Lebanese state.

“No one entrusted Hezbollah with defending Lebanon,” he said. “Instead, the group destroyed the country, drew Israel into Lebanon, and wreaked havoc during the 2006 war, and now again.”

“The Lebanese state has had no chance to recover,” he added. “Today, Hezbollah has only two options: surrender to Israel as it prepares a major ground operation, or hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state. Arrogance and denial will leave the entire country exposed to Israeli attacks.”

On the government’s role, Sayegh said officials have made significant progress south of the Litani River but now must implement the army’s plan across the rest of the country.

“The plan is being rolled out in phases. The first phase is southern Lebanon, and the army has promised to complete it by the end of the year,” he said.

Citing a U.S. official who recently visited Beirut, Sayegh said: “We have 60 days, until the end of the year, to demonstrate seriousness on the weapons issue in southern Lebanon and to address Hezbollah’s financial networks. More than $700 million came from Iran to Hezbollah to rebuild its military infrastructure and weapons factories destroyed by Israel during the war. This matter now rests with the Lebanese state, which appears to be taking a firm and decisive position.”

Sayegh said Qassem’s comments are aimed at rallying Hezbollah’s base and projecting alignment with the Lebanese state, but he described the effort as misleading.

“He never mentioned using military force,” Sayegh said. “It seems clear he recognizes that weapons are ineffective under the current balance of power. His speech was directed solely at his constituency, not the Lebanese public. He is isolated in Lebanon, and no one wants him to continue on this path.”

On the timeline for resolving the issue, Sayegh emphasized that authority rests with President Joseph Aoun.

“The president has said he will use all available means to implement the army’s plan. If the Lebanese Army uses force, it will cause far less damage than an Israeli intervention, which would be indiscriminate and could attempt to empty southern Lebanon of its residents, applying a scorched-earth approach similar to Gaza. The consequences would be severe on the security, political, and economic levels, thus threatening Lebanon’s unity.”