Lebanon’s government on Tuesday instructed the national army to devise a plan by year’s end to ensure all weapons are held solely by the state, a clear step toward disarming the Hezbollah militant group.
The directive was announced by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam following an almost six-hour Cabinet session. It came shortly after Hezbollah’s leader declared the group has no intention of laying down arms, and warned that if Israeli attacks escalate, the Iran-backed militia would resume launching rockets into Israeli territory.
According to Salam, the military has been tasked with presenting the plan by the end of the current month.
This move follows mounting pressure from the United States, which has urged Beirut to curb Hezbollah’s power after the group emerged severely weakened from a 14-month conflict with Israel, a war that claimed the lives of numerous key military and political figures within the group.
The Cabinet decision closely followed a July visit to Beirut by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who pressed Lebanese officials to adopt a firmer approach in dealing with Hezbollah and its arsenal.
