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The Lebanese government has entrusted the Army to devise a plan that ensures that only state agencies possess weapons by the end of the year, a move aimed at disarming the Iran-backed extremist group Hezbollah.
The announcement by Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam came after a nearly six-hour cabinet meeting. He said the government asked the Army to prepare plans by the end of the month for discussion and approval.
Following the meeting, Salam spoke about the “state’s obligation to monopolize weapons ownership,” the Lebanon State News Agency (NNA) reported.
The decision includes a July visit by US envoy Tom Barrack, who called for more decisive policies to disarm Hezbollah, following massive pressures from Washington in Beirut.
However, as the cabinet was meeting on Tuesday afternoon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called on his group to lay weapons.
“The schedule presented for implementation under Israeli attacks cannot be agreed,” he said at the aired address.
“The problem has become simpler. We give weapons, but there is no national security. How is that possible? We don’t accept it.
Hezbollah has been severely weakened by a 14-month conflict with Israel that ended in a US-brokered ceasefire in November. Several of the group’s leaders died in hostilities, killing thousands of fighter jets and destroying many of their weapons.
Hezbollah warns Israel
Last week, Lebanon President Joseph Aung angered the group’s leadership and called for Hezbollah to abandon his weapons.
Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has said he will not discuss disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills within Lebanon, stopping an almost day-long airstrike that killed or wounded hundreds.
Israel accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities. Israeli military says five Lebanon hills provide a favorable spot or are located across from the northern Israeli community.
Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has argued for responsibility for one attack on conflict zones along the border.
In his speech, Qassem said that Hezbollah would retaliate if Israel resumed a wider war with Lebanon.
“The Israeli interest is not to broaden the aggression, as expanding the attack will protect resistance, and the troops will protect them, and the people will protect them,” Kasem said.
“This defense will lead to the collapse of missiles within Israel.”
Qassem also said Hezbollah refused to vote by the government on arms and emphasized that such a decision should be unanimously supported by all Lebanese people.
Hezbollah’s weapons are a divisive issue. The group still has great support among Shia Muslim communities, but there have been calls for disarmament in some quarters.
The Israeli-Hezbollah conflict began the day after Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, the day after the war in Gaza. Lebanese authorities say at least 4,000 people have been killed in hostilities, but they have not distinguished between civilians and combatants.
Additional sources •AP
