Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel said Lebanon must resolve the issue of weapons operating outside State control before addressing any other political or economic challenges, deeming full State sovereignty as the foundation for stability and security.

“No weapons can remain outside the State's control on Lebanese soil. Let's settle the issue of non-state weapons first, and then we can talk about everything else,” Gemayel said.

He stressed that bringing all weapons under State authority was a necessary first step toward building a stable country capable of protecting its citizens and safeguarding their future.

Speaking at a Mass organized by the Kataeb's Kfour chapter  to commemorate deceased party members, Gemayel described the current period as a decisive moment for Lebanon's future.

He called on political forces committed to state sovereignty to unite their efforts and put their differences aside, arguing that the country could not move forward while armed groups retained the ability to make decisions beyond the government's authority.

As long as weapons remain outside State control, Gemayel warned the State cannot fully exercise its sovereignty or independently determine the country's security and strategic priorities.

He also warned that Lebanon would struggle to achieve economic stability or attract investment while facing persistent security threats and the prospect of renewed war with Israel or an internal confrontation.

Gemayel identified what he described as the main obstacles to Lebanon's recovery as “the logic of a State without real authority, subservience to Iran, and weapons outside the State's control that drag us into wars, crises and emigration.”