Lebanon Nears Completion of Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Prime Minister highlights that the disarmament effort in the southern region is almost finalized.

Lebanon is on the brink of finalizing the disarmament of Hezbollah in the southern area of the Litani River, with a target completion date set before the end of the year, as announced by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. This initiative is part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, which recently followed more than a year of conflict.

The Prime Minister’s remarks emphasize the urgency to fulfill a crucial requirement of the US-supported agreement reached in November of the previous year.

Key Components of the Agreement

The ceasefire agreement mandates the disarmament of the Iran-backed Lebanese militia, commencing in regions south of the Litani River that border Israel. Under the leadership of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Salam, the Lebanese authorities assigned the Lebanese army a crucial role on August 5, tasking it with formulating a comprehensive strategy to establish state control over arms by the year’s end.

According to a recent communiqué from Salam’s office, “The initial phase of the weapons consolidation plan concerning the area south of the Litani River is just days away from completion.” He further mentioned, “The state is poised to advance to the subsequent phase, which involves the confiscation of weapons north of the Litani River, following a plan devised by the Lebanese army under government directives.”

Recent Committee Meeting Insights

This announcement followed a meeting between Salam and Simon Karam, Lebanon’s chief civilian negotiator involved in the committee overseeing the truce with Israel. During their discussions, they addressed strategies for the safe return of displaced individuals to their homes and aimed to mitigate civilian concerns that could potentially reignite conflict if the disarmament deadline is not met.

The committee’s 15th meeting, held in Naqoura on Friday, underscored a longstanding US effort to expand negotiations between the parties beyond simply monitoring the 2024 ceasefire.

Attendees at the gathering discussed measures to facilitate the safe return of residents displaced by the recent conflict and ways to foster economic recovery, as reported by the US Embassy in Beirut.

Challenges Ahead

Since the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes have repeatedly targeted areas in Lebanon, particularly in the south and occasionally even affecting the capital. Israel has raised concerns regarding the Lebanese army’s effectiveness in disarming Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim militia, has resisted the pressure from its Christian and Sunni political opponents as well as external influences from the US and Saudi Arabia to disarm, arguing that such a move would be ill-advised while Israel continues its aggressive strikes.

Meanwhile, Israel has publicly urged Lebanon to uphold the conditions laid out in the truce, warning that action will be taken if steps against Hezbollah are not implemented.