Lebanese Government Commits To “Fully Disarming” Hezbollah

Via The Cradle

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Tuesday that the first stage of “fully disarming” Hezbollah will take three months. 

Rajji also said that army chief Rudolphe Haikal presented the government with a five-stage plan last week to restrict arms to the Lebanese state. The first stage should take “three months … during which the removal of weapons will be completed south of the Litani River.” The other phases include other parts of Lebanon.

The first stage has already been underway since the ceasefire was reached in November last year. As part of the agreement based partly on UN Resolution 1701, Lebanese troops have been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure south of the Litani River. 

Yet the Lebanese army’s work has been hindered by Israel’s continued occupation of several positions along the border, in violation of the deal. Israel also continues to bomb east and south Lebanon almost every day. Several Lebanese army soldiers were recently killed by an Israeli drone.

Haikal presented his plan to the government last week after being tasked to draft a strategy following the August 5 disarmament decision, which Hezbollah has rejected. Hezbollah and its allies withdrew from the cabinet session before the army chief presented the plan. 

Deliberations have been kept confidential, and the army has been ordered to present monthly updates about the implementation. Given the confidentiality, the timelines of the plan remain unclear. 

According to Saudi media outlet Al Hadath and other reports, Lebanon is “awaiting a practical step from Israel in exchange for arms control.”

“With the blessings of the Virgin Mary, everything is good,” said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday, after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The outcome of the latest cabinet session was reportedly a “compromise” following a deal between Berri and Aoun, according to Al-Akhbar newspaper.

Lebanese journalist Hassan Illaik from the Mahatta platform said the government “backtracked” from the August 5 decision to disarm Hezbollah fully by the end of this year. 

Hanin Ghaddar of the Washington Institute think tank said the US should make clear that the “vagueness is unacceptable” and that Lebanon should “face repercussions” if it does not provide “a clear and viable timeline for implementation.”

Hezbollah says it is open to discussing a national defense strategy, which would see its weapons incorporated into the Lebanese army and be available for use in defending the country if needed. 

Told @AnaKasparian that Lebanon is in a very unenviable position: On one hand, Hezbollah offered Lebanon some deterrence against Israel while contributing to the weakness of the Lebanese state.

On the other hand, the US wants the Lebanese army to be strong enough to disarm… pic.twitter.com/j270b0MFpt

— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) September 8, 2025

Yet the resistance group has emphasized that these talks cannot take place as Israel continues to attack Lebanon and occupy its territory in the south. Over 240 people have been killed by Israeli attacks on Lebanon since November 2024.