Hezbollah Clings to Its Weapons and Rejects the Government's Disarmament Plan

At a time when Lebanese political circles are awaiting the army's plan to confine weapons to the state before the end of this month, a firm stance from Hezbollah has emerged that undermines all expectations.

Sources revealed that the recent meetings held between a delegation from the Lebanese presidency, headed by President Joseph Aoun, and Hezbollah's leadership did not yield any significant progress in the disarmament file.

According to information, Hezbollah informed the President and Army Commander General Rudolf Haikal that any attempt to implement the confinement of weapons to the state, even if symbolic, is considered a step towards confrontation, which the party categorically rejects.

In a notable development, the party emphasized that it will not accept any symbolic or formal measures in this context, reaffirming its complete adherence to its weapons, despite increasing official and popular pressure.

These developments come in light of the Lebanese government's decision, issued in early August, to confine weapons to the state and to assign the army to develop a clear plan to achieve this goal, with the plan to be completed by the end of this month, and setting the end of the year (2025) as the final deadline for its implementation.

However, despite Hezbollah's participation in government sessions, sources indicate that this does not necessarily mean de-escalation, as the party does not rule out resorting to popular escalation in the streets in rejection of any attempt to infringe upon its weapons.

On the other hand, some political circles are proposing an alternative solution that involves the army presenting its plan to confine weapons without specifying a clear time frame for its implementation, allowing for continued dialogue between the Lebanese presidency on one hand, and the leaderships of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of the party, on the other hand.

Meanwhile, the United States, through its envoy to the region Thomas Barak, has presented a plan that is currently considered the most detailed regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah.

According to diplomatic sources, Washington is pressing to expedite the implementation of this plan, in light of the party's refusal to respond to repeated calls to hand over its weapons since the devastating war with Israel last year.