Lebanon’s new government on Wednesday won a confidence vote in Parliament, with the support of Hezbollah’s bloc, even though the government statement adopted took a swipe at the group’s weapons.
Ninety-five out of 128 lawmakers supported the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a prominent jurist who previously headed the International Court of Justice. He was appointed last month to form a new government after a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah, which killed over 4,000 people and caused widespread destruction.
The government statement adopted said that only Lebanon’s armed forces should defend the country in case of war. Unlike previous statements, it did not include the phrase “armed resistance,” which had been seen as legitimizing Hezbollah’s possession of weapons outside of state control.
