Lebanese government postpones decision on Hezbollah disarmament
Hezbollah and Amal ministers reportedly withdrew from the meeting over disagreements regarding the state monopoly on weapons
A decision regarding Hezbollah’s arms and Lebanese state monopoly on all weapons has been postponed until next week, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed in a speech following a crucial cabinet session on 5 August.
“We decided to continue the debate on the US proposal [to disarm Hezbollah] to next Thursday,” Salam said.
The prime minister reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to UN Resolution 1701 and the state’s monopoly on weapons by the end of the year.
“The Lebanese army is tasked with developing an implementation plan regarding the weapons before the end of the year and presenting it to the Council of Ministers for discussion before the 31st of this month,” he said.
Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers withdrew from the session before it came to an end on Tuesday evening.
“This is an indication of an attempt to set a trap … and impose the resistance’s disarmament as a fait accompli,” Lebanese journalist Khalil Nasrallah reported.
"The Council of Ministers did not task the army with drafting a plan to defend Lebanon against the Israeli aggression; instead, it tasked it with drafting a plan to restrict weapons (Hezbollah's weapons) to be presented to the Council of Ministers at the end of August, to be implemented before the end of the year. This is the level of 'defensive' thinking in Lebanon, and about Lebanon, among a group that embraced cowardice and made it their path," he added.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said after the session that Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers withdrew “over their disagreement with the cabinet’s decision on monopoly of weapons.”
The cabinet session began at 3:00 PM and lasted around five hours.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered a speech as the cabinet session took place, reaffirming the Lebanese resistance’s refusal to surrender its weapons.
“If we surrender our weapons, the aggression will not stop — this is what Israeli officials openly declare. The resistance is part of the Taif Constitution; it is explicitly mentioned there. A constitutional matter cannot be subject to a vote—it requires consensus,” Qassem said.
“The ministerial statement speaks of safeguarding sovereignty. So, is abandoning our weapons at the request of Israel, the US, and some Arab states a form of safeguarding sovereignty? The ministerial statement speaks of deterring aggressors, but where is the state that wards off calamity from Lebanon? Where is the defense of borders and frontlines? And if you say you are incapable, then let us at least preserve and build our own capabilities," he added.
Qassem noted that US envoy Tom Barrack had demanded a 30-day deadline for Hezbollah to give up all its arms. He also said that “if Israel chooses a wide-scale aggression against Lebanon, missiles will fall on it."
Sources close to Hezbollah told Al-Jadeed that Qassem’s “escalatory” rhetoric came as a response to Washington’s latest demands.
Government sources told the outlet that no Lebanese political forces intend to “blow up” the government except the US-allied Lebanese Forces (LF) party, which “insists on setting a timeline for disarmament” and has hinted at "an escalatory stance if this is not approved.”
The Lebanese government has been under heavy US pressure to disarm Hezbollah.
Hezbollah says it is prepared to discuss incorporating its weapons into the state for a defensive strategy in which they could be used to defend the country from Israel.
The group also stresses that this is purely an internal matter, and that no such discussions can begin until Israel ends its attacks and withdraws from the five points it occupied in south Lebanon since last year's ceasefire.
The Lebanese government has drafted a response to a recent US roadmap demanding, among other things, Hezbollah’s disarmament. The response prioritizes the need for Israel to withdraw its forces and end its near-daily attacks on Lebanon as a first step.
Washington and Tel Aviv have reportedly rejected Beirut’s terms, raising concerns over a potential military escalation.
Hezbollah has withdrawn its forces and weapons to the north of the Litani River in line with the ceasefire deal. Yet over 200 people have been killed by Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon since the agreement was reached in November last year.
Israeli reports recently said Tel Aviv is gearing up to continue attacking Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed – even if it leads to a new war.
One person was killed and four were injured in south Lebanon on Monday due to an Israeli drone strike.
Sources told Reuters last week that Washington will no longer pressure Israel to withdraw or stop attacking until the government commits to a swift disarmament of Hezbollah, before any talks for an Israeli withdrawal.
The report said Washington was demanding a Lebanese cabinet session to approve disarming Hezbollah.