Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said the cabinet authorised the army with a plan to disarm non-state actors by the end of the year.
Lebanon's cabinet convened a high-stakes meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace to finalise discussions on extending state authority over all arms within its borders, a move that directly challenges the longstanding military role of Hezbollah and other non-state actors.
The session on Tuesday, led by President Joseph Aoun and attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, marked a pivotal moment in Lebanon's struggle to assert sovereignty and unify control of its national defence apparatus.
According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), the cabinet's agenda centred on establishing a state monopoly over weapons, a controversial proposal that implicitly calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, which maintains a powerful military presence independent of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Before the session, President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam held a closed-door meeting, underscoring the sensitivity and potential implications of the discussion.
Hezbollah rejects disarmament
Hezbollah has firmly rejected any timeline for disarmament.
In a televised address before the cabinet meeting, the group’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, said Hezbollah is open to collaborating on a national defence strategy but not at the expense of what he called Lebanon’s “resistance capabilities”.
“The state must provide protection, not strip its people and their resistance of strength,” Qassem said.
“Disarming for the sake of Israel, the US, or any country is unacceptable.”
Lawmaker Ali Fayyad also warned that internal debate over disarmament risks deepening national divisions at a time of ongoing external threats.
“We must unite to pressure Israel into full withdrawal, end its aggression, and release our prisoners,” he said.
The disarmament push comes amid lingering tensions along the southern border, despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024 following a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Effects of tension with Israel
That war, which began with an Israeli offensive on October 8, 2023, escalated by September 2024 into full-scale fighting that left more than 4,000 people dead and 17,000 wounded.
Although a truce was brokered with international mediation, Israeli forces have continued their offensive in southern Lebanon, citing the presence of Hezbollah.
Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was required to complete its withdrawal by January 26, 2025, later extended to February 18.
As of today, Israeli troops remain stationed at five border outposts.
