Lebanon Pushes to Disarm Hezbollah, Orders Army to Develop Plan by Year-End

Kokcha News Agency – Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has directed the Lebanese army to prepare a plan by the end of the year to collect all weapons in the country, reaffirming the state’s monopoly on arms. The announcement came after a Cabinet meeting focused on the agenda of centralizing arms under state control.

Prime Minister Salam stated that the Cabinet has decided to complete discussions on a U.S. proposal by August 7. He emphasized that the Lebanese army has been tasked with developing a plan to collect weapons by the end of the year. Salam also reiterated Lebanon’s right to legitimate self-defense in the event of any attack.

The U.S. Special Representative for Syria, Tom Barrack, presented the proposal to the Beirut government on June 19, urging the collection of all weapons under state control as a priority. On July 29, Prime Minister Salam announced that discussions would be held to establish state sovereignty across all Lebanese territories using the country’s own forces.

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, stated on July 30 that disarming is an internal Lebanese matter and that Hezbollah would not lay down its arms against Israel. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, in a speech on August 1 marking Army Day, responded to the U.S. proposal by emphasizing that the immediate cessation of Israeli attacks and the establishment of state authority across all Lebanese territories are essential conditions for the collection of arms under state control.