Disarming Hezbollah: A Fateful Test for Lebanon Between Sovereignty and Civil Conflict
August 14, 202555 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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At a historical turning point that could determine Lebanon's future, the Lebanese Cabinet approved the American plan to disarm Hezbollah on August 7, 2025, triggering a politically and security risky confrontation between the influential party and state institutions. This decision, which came after months of intense American pressure, reflects a fundamental shift in the Lebanese equation, but raises existential questions about Lebanon's ability to navigate this difficult test without slipping into violence.
The timing of the American initiative followed the Israeli-Lebanese war of 2024, which significantly weakened Hezbollah's military capabilities and created a rare opportunity for international pressure, coinciding with the suffocating economic crisis in Lebanon.
The American paper presented a package that included promises of economic and reconstruction aid, support for border demarcation, and threats of sanctions in case of non-compliance.
The decision puts Lebanon in front of an existential dilemma, primarily the choice of sovereignty, where the state is supposed to be the sole owner of weapons, and the choice of stability, as forced disarmament may lead to internal confrontations.
The paradox is that the government found itself between the hammer of American-international pressures and the anvil of Hezbollah's rejection, which considers its weapons a "guarantee against Israel."
Will the party resort to military options if it feels its existence is threatened? How will it act when the army begins to implement the plan in practice?
If confrontation occurs, Lebanon may slip into an armed conflict between the army and the party's supporters, which is why efforts are intensifying to reach a conciliatory formula through national dialogue, as the issue of weapons cannot be resolved through unilateral decisions but through the requirements of sovereignty and the necessities of stability, especially amid fears of the regional threat evolving that could turn Lebanon into a battleground for international reckonings.
While Lebanon tries to emerge from its economic crisis, it finds itself facing a new existential test. The right decision requires wisdom that transcends sectarian divisions and an understanding that any victory for Israel in this equation is a defeat for all Lebanese. True sovereignty begins when the state becomes the only and final refuge for all its citizens.
The timing of the American initiative followed the Israeli-Lebanese war of 2024, which significantly weakened Hezbollah's military capabilities and created a rare opportunity for international pressure, coinciding with the suffocating economic crisis in Lebanon.
The American paper presented a package that included promises of economic and reconstruction aid, support for border demarcation, and threats of sanctions in case of non-compliance.
The decision puts Lebanon in front of an existential dilemma, primarily the choice of sovereignty, where the state is supposed to be the sole owner of weapons, and the choice of stability, as forced disarmament may lead to internal confrontations.
The paradox is that the government found itself between the hammer of American-international pressures and the anvil of Hezbollah's rejection, which considers its weapons a "guarantee against Israel."
Will the party resort to military options if it feels its existence is threatened? How will it act when the army begins to implement the plan in practice?
If confrontation occurs, Lebanon may slip into an armed conflict between the army and the party's supporters, which is why efforts are intensifying to reach a conciliatory formula through national dialogue, as the issue of weapons cannot be resolved through unilateral decisions but through the requirements of sovereignty and the necessities of stability, especially amid fears of the regional threat evolving that could turn Lebanon into a battleground for international reckonings.
While Lebanon tries to emerge from its economic crisis, it finds itself facing a new existential test. The right decision requires wisdom that transcends sectarian divisions and an understanding that any victory for Israel in this equation is a defeat for all Lebanese. True sovereignty begins when the state becomes the only and final refuge for all its citizens.
