Lebanese politician says Shi’ite community is victim of Hezbollah, calls for ‘intifada’ - report

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel told a delegation from the Lebanese Press Editors' Syndicate that Lebanon's Shi'ite population should launch an 'intifada' against Hezbollah, according to Lebanese media reports. He said the Shi'ite community is held hostage by Hezbollah and that no solution can be achieved by Lebanon alone. He approached Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss separating the community from Hezbollah, but Berri shut down the discussion. The comments came days before reports that third nations would monitor Hezbollah's disarmament.

Kataeb party leader Sami Gemayel called on Lebanon's Shi'ite population to launch an 'intifada' against Hezbollah, telling a delegation from the Lebanese Press Editors' Syndicate that the community is being held hostage by the group. According to L'Orient Today, Gemayel suggested the Shi'ite population was being held hostage and that an uprising against Hezbollah was therefore necessary. He said there is no solution to the conflict that Lebanon can solve alone, and that the situation depends on wider regional developments, namely Iran. Hezbollah, backed by Iran and loyal to the ayatollah under Wilayat al-Faqih, will continue to act on Tehran's instructions, he said. Gemayel said he had approached Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss engaging with the Shi'ite community to create a separation between it and Hezbollah, but Berri quickly shut down the discussion. Berri, leader of the Amal Movement, is closely allied with Hezbollah. The comments came days before reports that mutually agreed-upon third nations would monitor and verify Hezbollah's disarmament.