Beirut, November 24. RSC Chairman Emiliano Stornelli shared his views with “L’Osservatore Romano” and “Vatican News” on the new attack that struck Lebanon’s capital nearly a year after the “ceasefire” agreement and ahead of the visit of Pope Leo XIV. “The population is once again gripped by anxiety, but these attacks were not unexpected”, he stated. “They follow those that have been regularly hitting the south of the country and were preceded by numerous low-altitude flights of Israeli drones over Beirut”.
“There is a stalemate in the process of full disarmament required of Hezbollah by the ceasefire agreement as well as the UN Security Council Resolution 1701″, RSC Chairman explained. On the one hand, “the Lebanese Armed Forces, together with UNIFIL, have effectively dismantled a large part of the organization’s infrastructure south of the Litani, allowing the army to regain control over much of the territory in that area”. On the other, “the core of Hezbollah‘s military capabilities remains intact, especially the missile systems stockpiled in tunnels”.
“Hezbollah has repeatedly made it clear that it is not willing to accept a total surrender”, he noted: a stance that alarms the Lebanese government, which fears Lebanon could slide into a civil war should Hezbollah be pushed into a corner”. At the same time, “the Lebanese government is also facing pressure from the United States to move forward with Hezbollah’s disarmament by the end of the year”.
