Lebanon is not in a real ceasefire but in a fragile and unstable pause in hostilities, according to Kataeb Party MP Nadim Gemayel, who said ongoing violence in the south and a recent Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs underline how shallow the current truce remains.

Speaking in an interview with Euronews, Gemayel said that while a formal ceasefire is supposed to be in place, fighting has continued on the ground.

“There was no real ceasefire over the past two weeks,” he said. “Small battles and skirmishes were still taking place between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”

He added that an Israeli strike in the Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut was further evidence of the fragility of the situation.

“What happened in Dahiyeh shows that the ceasefire is very, very, very shallow,” he said.

Gemayel stressed, however, that the conflict should not be framed as a traditional war between two states.

“To put things into perspective, we are not in a war between Lebanon and Israel,” he said. “The real problem is between Hezbollah and Israel, and between Iran and the West, including the United States and Israel. And we, as Lebanese people, are paying the price.”

Asked about continued Israeli demolitions and shelling in southern Lebanon, Gemayel said such actions were “not acceptable,” but argued that they reflect a deeper structural problem that must be resolved.

“This is of course not acceptable,” he said. “But at the same time, we need to find a final solution.”

He said the root of the crisis lies in the presence of armed groups operating outside State authority.

“In our south, we had militias and military organizations that are outside the State, outside its institutions, and who took Lebanon’s sovereignty hostage,” he said. “They dragged Lebanon into a situation that the Lebanese people did not choose.”

For Gemayel, the solution is clear: a single State authority with exclusive control over security and armed forces.

“What we are asking for is one army, one decision, and one authority that takes all decisions on the ground,” he said. “The main obstacle to that is Hezbollah.”

Pressed on how Lebanese authorities could realistically disarm Hezbollah given its military power and political influence, Gemayel acknowledged the difficulty but insisted the process must begin with political will at the highest level.

“This requires a lot of will, a lot of courage, and a clear decision from the head of state to impose authority and State presence,” he said.

He described the current situation in stark terms, arguing that the Lebanese State is largely absent from key decisions.

“Today, the State is almost absent,” he said. “It has declared itself a country with a flag but without a State.”

“What we need is for the State to be present, to be effective, and to have the authority to take all decisions,” he added.

Gemayel said he was under no illusion that such changes could happen quickly, but insisted that a process must begin.

“We know this will not happen overnight,” he said. “It is a long path. But it has to start. The State needs to exist in practice, not just in name.”

He concluded by urging Lebanon’s government to act decisively.

“This is what we are asking from the Lebanese government today,” he said.