BEIRUT: Militant group Hezbollah on Saturday urged Pope Leo XIV to reject Israeli “injustice and aggression” against Lebanon, in a message to the pontiff who arrives in Beirut this weekend.
Hezbollah emerged heavily weakened from more than a year of hostilities culminating in two months of open war with Israel that began when the Iran-backed group started cross-border attacks against Israel over the Gaza war.
A ceasefire a year ago was supposed to end the hostilities but Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, mainly saying it is targeting Hezbollah operatives and sites, and has maintained troops in five southern Lebanon locations it deems strategic.
Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, the government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, a move the group has rejected.
“We in Hezbollah take advantage of the occasion of your auspicious visit to our country Lebanon to reaffirm from our side our commitment to coexistence,” read Hezbollah’s message to the pope, published on the group’s social media channels on Saturday.
