Hezbollah threatens Lebanon with civil war if state continues attempts to disarm Iranian proxy

A senior Hezbollah official warned that the efforts by the Lebanese state to disarm the terror group, as per the ceasefire agreement with Israel, could lead the country to civil war. 

Speaking with the Russian state media outlet RT, senior political official Mahmoud Qamati said that attempts to continue the disarmament effort north of the Litani River would be “the greatest crime the state has committed.” 

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) declared last week that it had completed the first stage of its plan to monopolize weapons in the hands of the state by establishing full control over the area south of the Litani, which borders Israel.   

This was the first step in a multi-stage plan by the government to disarm the terror group, which it announced last August under heavy pressure from the Trump administration. 

Israel has lauded these efforts while repeatedly warning that they were not sufficient to stop the group’s rebuilding operations, even when taken together with simultaneous, near-daily IDF airstrikes which the Lebanese government has criticized. 

Despite the statements published today in Lebanon, the facts remain that extensive Hezbollah military infrastructure still exists south of the Litani River. The goal of disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon remains far from being achieved.
This can be seen in the attached… pic.twitter.com/NPTIEbUapQ

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) January 8, 2026

Hezbollah has claimed it would comply with the withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the dismantling of its infrastructure there but stressed it would not disarm any further. Qamati said the aspiration for a state monopoly over weapons north of the Litani would be “the greatest crime the state has committed.” 

“The path being taken by the Lebanese government and state institutions will lead Lebanon to instability, chaos, and perhaps even a civil war,” he warned, while claiming that Hezbollah troops would not be “drawn” into clashes with the LAF. 

He also reiterated the group’s stance that there would be no discussions about the situation north of the Litani “before Israel withdraws from all Lebanese territory, liberates the south and the prisoners, and stops its violations against Lebanon.” 

The government asked the LAF to present a plan on how it wants to continue the disarmament by early February. 

Hezbollah has sought to portray itself as the defender of Lebanon against “Israeli aggression,” rejecting arguments made by politicians like President Joseph Aoun that its weapons were, instead, inviting Israeli strikes in the country. 

In this context, Qamati also slammed Foreign Minister Yousef Raggi, who noted earlier this week that the ceasefire agreement grants Israeli the right to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon so long as it doesn’t lay down its weapons. 

“The agreement was in Israel's favor, and as long as weapons are not completely confined, Israel, unfortunately, retains the right to continue its attacks according to the agreement,” Raggi told Sky News Arabic. 

Addressing Hezbollah leader Qassem Naim, Raggi added, “Your weapons are no longer capable of protecting you or Lebanon and have become a burden on the Shia community.” 

Aoun also recently called Hezbollah to see “reason,” citing the current geopolitical situation as proof that its weapons had become unnecessary and a “burden" on both Lebanon and Hezbollah’s Shia support base. 

On Wednesday, sources close to Aoun told the Kuwaiti daily al-Anba that after talks with Hezbollah officials, the president left reassured that Hezbollah would not join a potential war between U.S. and Israel and its Iranian patrons. 

In a statement on Tuesday, Hezbollah had praised pro-regime demonstrations held in Iran, describing them as a “popular” endorsement of the regime as well as the “Axis of Resistance.”