Lebanon Grapples with Disarmament Plan & Hezbollah‘s Response
Tensions are rising in Lebanon as the government moves forward with a plan to restrict the possession of weapons outside of state control, notably focusing on Hezbollah’s arsenal. The move comes amidst ongoing concerns about the group’s influence and a desire to solidify the November ceasefire agreement with Israel.
On August 7th, the Lebanese government agreed to goals outlined in an American proposal aimed at confirming the ceasefire and initiating a plan for restricting weapons.The Lebanese army has been tasked with developing this plan, with a deadline for completion set for the end of August.
The first steps towards disarming Palestinian camps began on Thursday, marking the initial phase of a broader effort to collect weapons from these camps across Lebanon, a process expected to continue in the coming weeks. The American envoy Tom Barak’s proposal includes 11 objectives,notably the “gradual ending of armed presence,all non-governmental parties,including Hezbollah,in all Lebanese lands,south and north of Litani,” alongside increased support for the Lebanese army and internal security forces.
Recent political dialog has sought to navigate these sensitive issues. On saturday, Lebanese presidential advisor Andre rahal met with MP Mohamed Raad, head of the Wafa Resistance Bloc (representing Hezbollah in parliament), at the Bloc’s office in the southern suburbs. Sources indicate the meeting aimed to maintain dialogue following the cabinet session and the decision regarding weapon restrictions.
Though, Hezbollah has firmly rejected the disarmament plan. On August 15th, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qasim declared, “we will not hand over its weapon,” and warned of a potential “battle” should the government attempt to enforce disarmament. He stated, “there will be no ’life for Lebanon’ if the government faces the party.”
Qasim characterized the August 5th government decision to task the army with developing the disarmament plan as ”stripping the country of defensive weapons during the aggression and facilitating the killing of the resistance.” He further argued the decision “violates the coexistence charter” and “exposes the country to a major crisis.” He urged against involving the national army in internal conflict, stating, “the national army is recorded, and its leadership does not want to enter this path.”
Qasim described the government’s decision as lacking a “charter” and revealed that Hezbollah and the Amal Movement had agreed to postpone planned demonstrations, hoping for dialogue and adjustments before a confrontation. He concluded by stating that if confrontation becomes unavoidable, “there is no choice in front of us.”
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim qasim is scheduled to deliver a speech on Monday afternoon.
