The Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah has strongly condemned a cabinet decision to move toward a state monopoly on weapons, calling it a “grave sin” that directly serves Israel’s interests.
In a written statement on Wednesday, Hezbollah accused the government of acting under US diktats and vowed to treat the decision “as if it did not exist.”
The group said the move achieves “Israel’s interest in full” and is part of a foreign-driven agenda to weaken the “resistance”.
As a show of protest, Hezbollah confirmed that some ministers walked out of the cabinet session to express their rejection.
Despite its firm opposition, Hezbollah reiterated its readiness to engage in discussions on a unified national defence strategy and urged its supporters to remain patient amid rising political tensions.
Disarming all non-state actors in Lebanon
The cabinet meeting, held on Tuesday at the Baabda Presidential Palace and led by President Joseph Aoun with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in attendance, marked a pivotal moment in Lebanon’s efforts to assert state sovereignty and bring all weapons under government control — a step widely viewed as targeting Hezbollah’s armed status.
Following the session, Prime Minister Salam announced that the cabinet had authorised the Lebanese Army to implement a plan to disarm all non-state actors by the end of the year, signalling a serious move toward consolidating the country’s fragmented security landscape.
The decision has deepened political divisions, with Hezbollah and its allies warning that such measures could destabilise the country and play into the hands of Israel, which continues to occupy Lebanese territory in the south despite a ceasefire agreement.
