Lebanese gov’t ‘welcomes’ army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah without presenting clear timeline

The Lebanese cabinet “welcomed” a plan presented by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on Friday to disarm Hezbollah, but didn’t present a timeline nor a clear commitment for the move that could be violently opposed by the powerful terror group.

Friday’s cabinet meeting followed a historic decision to instruct the LAF to come up with a plan to enforce the state’s monopoly on military power, which necessitates the disarmament of all active non-state militias, including Hezbollah.

Hezbollah responded to the decision with protests and threats of a new civil war.

The move became possible only after Israel significantly weakened the terror group last year, paving the way for a new government now seeking Western – primarily American – assistance to rebuild a country devastated by war and successive financial crises.

The United States has conditioned its support on Lebanon’s commitment to the ceasefire and preceding UN resolutions, which include the disarmament of Hezbollah and security arrangements with Israel.

Friday’s cabinet session lasted for three hours, during which LAF commander Rodolphe Haykal presented the army’s plan.

However, the five Shiite ministers again walked out in protest, underscoring that the Shiite community – Hezbollah’s main support base – remains opposed to disarming the Iran-backed militia.

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos subsequently told reporters that the government had “welcomed” the plan, without explicitly saying it had adopted or formally passed it.

He also emphasized the LAF's “limited” logistical, material, and personnel capabilities, which he said might require “additional time (and) additional effort” to carry out the plan.

Lebanon has demanded that Israel halt its military strikes over Hezbollah’s ceasefire violations and withdraw entirely from the five positions it still holds on Lebanese territory.

“Lebanon’s decision on LAF’s disarmament plan was not a decision, but an exercise in prevarication. Lebanese officials refused to discuss the details of the plan and its implementation, or whether they had even adopted the plan at all,” David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said.

Morcos claimed that Israel has not so far committed to the U.S.-sponsored roadmap toward security arrangements between the two hostile countries.

“Accordingly, Lebanon clarifies that any progress towards implementing the paper remains contingent upon the commitment of the other parties, primarily Israel,” he said.

“Lebanon’s bottom line remains that it has fulfilled its obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for a state monopoly on arms, as well as the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, insisting that the onus is now on the international community to provide Lebanon with funding, and on Israel to halt its operations in and withdraw from Lebanon,” Daoud added.

Government officials did not provide further details, but reports indicate the disarmament process is expected to take about 15 months from its launch.

Lebanese news outlets reported that the first stage would last over three months and focus on removing arms from the region south of the Litani River.

The second stage would be implemented in the area between the Litani River and the al-Awali River; the third in Beirut and its suburbs; and the fourth in the Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah has stored many of its strategic weapons in massive underground bunkers.

In a first reaction from Hezbollah, Mahmoud Qamati told Reuters that the group welcomed the cabinet decision as “an opportunity to return to wisdom and reason, preventing the country from slipping into the unknown.”

He said Hezbollah viewed the decision as a sign that any further Lebanese steps would depend on Israel’s adherence to the U.S. roadmap.