Interior Minister Says US Can Help Secure Israeli Withdrawal, Reaffirms State Authority
Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar said President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Washington formed part of a coordinated Lebanese effort to end the repercussions of the war, stressing that Lebanon’s top priority remained a full Israeli withdrawal to enable the deployment of the Lebanese Army and security forces across all its territory.
In an interview with Télé Liban, Al-Hajjar said the government had received no external dictates regarding the state’s exclusive authority over arms, describing the policy as stemming from the government’s ministerial statement and its commitment to extending state authority nationwide. He said the United States remained the actor best positioned to pressure Israel into completing its withdrawal.
Al-Hajjar said Lebanon and Syria were coordinating solely on border security and combating the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people, denying reports of any military coordination or Syrian involvement in halting arms supplies to Hezbollah.
He also said Lebanon’s security situation remained very good despite continued Israeli attacks in the south, crediting proactive security operations for successes against terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking. On Syrian refugees, he said voluntary returns were continuing, with around 650,000 people removed from UNHCR records and the deadline for facilitated returns extended to Sept. 30, 2026.
