The Lebanese military will need at least four months to carry out the second phase of its plan to disarm the Hezbollah terrorist group and other non-state actors in the country’s south, Beirut said on Monday, according to AFP.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos made the announcement following a Cabinet session, saying the government had reviewed the army’s presentation on the next stage of disarmament operations.
“There is a timeframe of four months, extendable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and hindrances on the ground,” he said.
The second phase covers the area between the Litani and Awali rivers, roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Beirut, following completion last month of the first phase along the southern strip between the Litani River and the Israeli border.
Lebanon’s government last year committed to disarming Hezbollah after a war with Israel in which the Iran-backed terrorist group suffered significant losses. Hezbollah joined the fighting on Oct. 8, 2023—one day after Hamas led a terrorist invasion of southern Israel, killing, injuring and kidnapping thousands.
Despite a November 2024 ceasefire, Israel has retained a presence and carried out limited strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon to prevent the terror army from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem pushed back against the disarmament effort on Monday, calling the government’s focus on the issue “a grave sin” and urging officials to halt what he described as successive concessions to Jerusalem’s demands.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a Jan. 8 statement said that while Beirut’s efforts were “an encouraging beginning,” they were “far from sufficient” given Hezbollah’s ongoing Iran-aided rearmament efforts.
“The ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States between Israel and Lebanon states clearly, Hezbollah must be fully disarmed. This is imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future,” Jerusalem said.
