BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon has warned Palestinian militant group Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise the country’s security or sovereignty, Beirut’s Supreme Defence Council said on Friday.
The announcement came with Lebanon facing growing U.S. pressure to disarm militant groups outside state control following last year’s war between Israel and armed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas.
The ceasefire that ended that conflict called on Lebanon to disarm “all armed groups in Lebanon” and dismantle unauthorised military infrastructure.
Mohammad al-Mustafa, secretary-general of the Supreme Defence Council, told reporters on Friday that the body would recommend a series of decisions to Lebanon’s cabinet, including “warning Hamas against using Lebanese territory to carry out any actions that threaten Lebanese national security”.
Hamas has a longstanding presence within Lebanon, including in camps across the country that host hundreds of thousands of long-time Palestinian refugees and where Lebanese security forces have long had only limited authority.
Along with Hezbollah, Hamas fighters in Lebanon fired rockets across the southern border into Israel in solidarity with Palestinians after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack from Gaza that precipitated the war in the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli airstrikes have killed several Hamas commanders in Lebanon, including the group’s deputy chief in early 2024.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who previously served as army commander, has vowed to bring all weapons in the country under the state’s authority.
“The president underscored Lebanon’s refusal to be drawn into regional conflicts, highlighting the importance of Palestinian rights without compromising Lebanese stability,” Mustafa told reporters, referring to the council session.
“The prime minister also stressed the need to hand over illegal weapons and to prevent Hamas or any other faction from undermining Lebanon’s national security and stability,” a council statement said.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam and Nayera Abdallah; writing by Tala Ramadan and Maya Gebeily; editing by Kevin Liffey and Mark Heinrich)
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