BEIRUT – Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati on Sept 6 described Lebanon’s Cabinet session on a state monopoly of arms as a chance to “return to wisdom and reason” and avoid plunging the nation into chaos, even as the contentious plan directly targets the group’s weapons.
The Lebanese Cabinet on Sept 5 welcomed an army proposal to disarm Hezbollah under a US-backed road map but warned that Israeli military strikes could obstruct progress. Information Minister Paul Morcos clarified that the Cabinet had not formally approved the plan, reflecting internal divisions.
Qmati said Hezbollah’s stance was shaped by the government’s condition that Israel halt attacks and withdraw from southern Lebanon before any disarmament efforts advance. He stressed the plan should remain “suspended until further notice” as Israel continues its strikes.
The disarmament push follows Lebanon’s assignment in August for the army to draft a framework establishing a state monopoly on weapons. Hezbollah has “unequivocally rejected” the move, insisting instead on a national defence strategy. Israel has signalled it might reduce its presence in southern Lebanon if the army acted against Hezbollah, but continued strikes killed four people on Sept 3.
The debate over Hezbollah’s arms has intensified since the 2024 war with Israel, which upended Lebanon’s power balance. External pressure from the US, Saudi Arabia, and domestic rivals has grown, while Hezbollah leaders warn disarmament amid ongoing Israeli operations risks civil unrest and even renewed civil war.