Hizbollah, Lebanon's Shia Islamist party, on Monday claimed its strong showing in the second round of the country's staggered parliamentary elections would strengthen its case to resist international calls to disarm.

Hizbollah and the Shia Amal movement, both backed by Syria, won all 23 seats contested on Sunday in south Lebanon. The region is predominantly Shia and has been a strong supporter of Hizbollah, whose guerrilla campaign forced Israeli troops to end their occupation of a security strip in the south in 2000.