Hezbollah supporters protest weapons surrender

Hezbollah supporters have gathered in the Lebanese capital to challenge the group's disarming before the cabinet meeting over the issue.

Protests began in Beirut on Monday evening as the United States is pressuring Lebanon to lower its weapons.

Hezbollah emerged weak from a war with Israel last year that eliminated most of the leaders of the group, killed thousands of soldiers, and thousands of supporters remained away from their now destroyed homes.

In recent months, the US and Lebanon have held talks on disarming.

Lebanon's new leadership has promised to extend authority throughout the territory, but so far has avoided actions against Hezbollah, the national news agency.

“Hozballlah has made his position clear: it will not be disarmed because if it did, it would serve the interests of Israel, not the sovereignty of Lebanon”, said Al Jazeera reporter Zeina Khodr.

It follows that Hezbollah leader Naim Qasssem has told the government that the group feels blackmailed because if it doesn't hand over weapons, reconstruction funds will not be provided.

Ahead of Tuesday's government meeting, Hezbollah reiterated the demand that Israel's withdrawal problems from Lebanese territory, the release of prisoners and the halting of conflicts occur before discussions on disarming. /Periscope/