Lebanon orders army to draft plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on Tuesday that the government has directed the army to draft a plan aimed at ensuring the state’s exclusive hold on weapons and disarming groups operating outside official control, including Hezbollah.

The Lebanese Army will present the plan to the Cabinet before the end of August. It is expected to be implemented by the end of this year, according to Salam’s statement.

The statement came after Lebanon’s government convened a highly anticipated Cabinet meeting to debate the disarmament of the Iranian terror proxy, responding to mounting U.S. pressure and concerns over potential Israeli escalation.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun gathered ministers at the Baabda presidential palace southeast of Beirut, with discussions stretching into the evening amid uncertainty over the outcome.

It was also decided to continue the discussion on the U.S. disarmament proposal this Thursday.

The United Arab Emirates state-owned English-language daily, The National, cited a senior Lebanese security source as saying that the Cabinet might issue only a vague statement or postpone decisions until later in the week.

At a separate event, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, rejected calls for disarmament, insisting that the terrorist group’s weapons are vital for defending Lebanon against Israeli attacks, which aim to prevent the Iranian proxy from rebuilding its terror infrastructure.

Qassem warned of retaliation if Jerusalem launched a wider conflict and instead called for a national defense strategy that recognizes the role of Hezbollah. He maintained that disarmament should only follow Israeli troop withdrawals and prisoner releases.

Last week, Qassem declared that demands for Hezbollah to disarm serve Israeli interests.

He also accused U.S. envoy Tom Barrack of using “intimidation and threats” with the aim of “aiding Israel.”

Hezbollah started launching missiles and rockets into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, just one day after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in the south. Last fall, its leadership was decimated by a series of Israeli operations that exploded the pagers and walkie-talkies of terrorists, followed by intense Israeli airstrikes on its rocket arsenal. A ceasefire went into effect on Nov. 27.

Pressure has mounted from U.S. and Lebanese political factions for the group to disarm.

In June, Barrack proposed a roadmap under which Hezbollah would give up its weapons in exchange for Israel halting military strikes and withdrawing from remaining strategic positions in Southern Lebanon, contingent on Lebanon’s Cabinet issuing a clear commitment to disarm the terrorist group.