The Arab League has announced that it will no longer designate Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a move that marks a significant shift in the league’s policy toward the Lebanese Shiite group.
Hossam Zaki, deputy secretary general of the Arab League, said in a television interview: “League member states have agreed that the term terrorist organization should no longer be used to refer to Hezbollah.” The announcement followed his visit to Beirut, where he met with various Lebanese officials, including representatives of Hezbollah.
This change of position is all the more remarkable given that in March 2016, the Arab League officially classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a decision that followed that of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Zaki clarified that the Arab League does not maintain a list of terrorist groups and does not actively seek to designate entities as such. This new approach could potentially pave the way for a more open dialogue with Hezbollah and other regional actors.
This development comes in a context of increased tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, particularly since the start of the conflict in Gaza last October. Hezbollah conditioned the end of its attacks against Israel on the end of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Zaki’s visit to Lebanon also aimed to discuss the de-escalation of tensions in the south of the country and to address the issue of the presidential vacancy which has persisted for more than 19 months. This turnaround by the Arab League could have significant implications for regional political dynamics and conflict resolution efforts in the Middle East.
