In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel and Lebanon both sides ultimately “seek peace,” with the long-term solution centered on empowering the Lebanese Armed Forces to “go after and disarm and dismantle Hezbollah.”
He described the situation as “a very unique ceasefire” in which “Lebanon and Israel are not at war,” but are instead dealing with Hezbollah’s presence inside Lebanon.
Rubio stressed that “Israel has no territorial claims on Lebanon. There isn’t some part of Lebanon that Israel claims belongs to them,” reiterating that “the problem Israel has is not with Lebanon. It’s with Hezbollah inside of Lebanon.”
On recent Israeli strikes, Rubio said Washington is aware of operations in advance and emphasized that Israel has the right to act against imminent threats, while noting the U.S. has urged Israeli officials “to measure themselves in their response, to make sure their responses are proportional and targeted, and so far that appears to be the case.” He also accused Hezbollah of attempting to derail diplomacy through continued attacks.
Rubio argued that Hezbollah does not represent Lebanese interests, calling it “an outside force operating inside of Lebanon on behalf of the Iranian regime,” and adding that “the only thing that Hezbollah has brought to Lebanon is suffering and destruction.”
He further said that resolving the conflict will require broader rejection of the group, noting that even within the Shia population there is a rejection of Hezbollah.
Addressing security dynamics on the ground, Rubio acknowledged limitations within the Lebanese military, saying “the Lebanese Armed Forces, while they may have willingness, do not at this moment have full capability to address all of the threats” posed by Hezbollah.
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