Hamadeh: Lebanese Authority Must Reconnect with Its People Amid Negotiations Crisis

Ihab Hamadeh, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc and Member of Parliament, intensified his criticism of Lebanon's political establishment and its relationship with the United States during remarks made at a memorial event in Sharawneh, Baalbek, on the fortieth anniversary of martyr Ali Salah Jaafar.

The MP characterized recent diplomatic efforts as fundamentally compromised, describing what he termed "theatrical negotiations" as having evolved into a process controlled by a single actor rather than representing genuine bilateral engagement. He characterized the current dynamic as one where "a Zionist-American party" operates while "the Lebanese present is a vessel for receiving orders and dictates."

Addressing both state leadership and what he called "partners in the nation," Hamadeh extended an olive branch while issuing a stark warning. "Our hand is still extended to you," he stated, urging the Lebanese authority to "return to its senses and to its people," which he characterized as being "gambled with" by those in power.

Hamadeh rejected what he described as illusions about Lebanon's future, asserting that "the fantasy of reaching a stage in which Lebanon can be provided for free as part of Greater Israel has ended." He pointed to ongoing resistance operations against Israeli forces as evidence of continued confrontation, claiming these efforts inflict casualties and losses on the opposing side, with "Israel's attrition expanding."

The recent sanctions imposed by the United States drew particular attention from the MP. While he acknowledged that Hezbollah and the Amal Movement have come to expect sanctions targeting leadership figures, Hamadeh underscored what he views as a troubling new development: penalties directed at military officers. He interpreted these measures as carrying deeper political and security implications, suggesting they represent an effort to place Lebanese state institutions within the targeting framework of what he termed "the Zionist project."

Hamadeh connected the sanctions regime to proposals from the U.S. State Department regarding the formation of a brigade tasked with disarming the resistance. He characterized this proposal as part of a broader pressure campaign that extends beyond the resistance itself to encompass state institutions and their broader environment.

The gathering concluded with a traditional Hosseini funeral council led by Sheikh Khairuddin Sharif.

Hamadeh's statements arrive amid an intensifying national debate over multiple interconnected issues: the future disposition of Hezbollah's arsenal, the trajectory of indirect negotiations, and mounting American pressure on Lebanon framed around the consolidation of weapons under state authority. The political discourse remains divided between those prioritizing stability and the prevention of escalation and those insisting that discussions of armament or diplomatic engagement cannot be divorced from the persistence of Israeli military operations, the status of occupied Lebanese territories, and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.