Gemayel marks 50 years since launch of Lebanese Resistance, calls for an end to illegal arms

Lebanese Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Lebanese Resistance with a call to reinforce state sovereignty and end the era of non-state weapons, asserting that "the resistance's cause has triumphed" five decades on.

Speaking at a party ceremony commemorating the anniversary, Gemayel said the occasion symbolizes "the ultimate victory of the Lebanese entity over attempts at annexation, occupation, and settlement plans."

"We are gathered today to renew our oath and affirm that Lebanon's sovereignty comes first," he said, emphasizing that the event was not meant to "reopen the wounds of war" but to "tell our story as it happened and honor our heroes."

Gemayel recalled that the Kataeb Party lost 5,513 members during the civil war and reiterated that their resistance was defensive. 

"We did not seek war. The war came to us. When the Lebanese state told us it could not defend us, we defended ourselves," he said, referring to battles fought in Achrafieh, Zahle, Ain El Remmaneh, and Chekka.

He framed the early conflict as a battle against foreign military organizations, specifically Palestinian factions and the Syrian army. "We faced a real plan to replace occupied Palestine with Lebanon as an alternative homeland," he said. "We stood our ground and blocked that plan."

Gemayel stressed that the Lebanese resistance was never a campaign of brutality. "Our resistance was not savage. It was a last resort."

In a pointed message to Hezbollah, Gemayel said, "The presence of illegal weapons was the core cause of war, and it is time we all learn that only the state can protect its people." He added, "I say to Hezbollah: you have tried, you fought, and we have seen the result."

He reiterated that the disarmament of non-state actors is not a topic for debate, but a legal obligation. 

"There is no future for weapons outside the framework of the state. Hezbollah must hand over its weapons like others did," he said, calling for direct talks between the party and the Lebanese government on the handover process.

Gemayel continued by saying, "We are ready to hear the stories of others and to acknowledge each other. That's how we build a shared narrative for Lebanon."

Ending on a personal note, he said Kataeb leaders have always stood on the frontlines. "We do not hide and send others to die. Our leaders were martyred before our youth."