Hezbollah Refuses to Surrender Weapons and the Lebanese Foreign Ministry: "Final Decision with No Turning Back"

The Lebanese Foreign Minister emphasized today, Wednesday, that the government's decision regarding the restriction of weapons to legitimate forces is a "decisive and final" decision, with no turning back, indicating an official direction to restore security in the country and strengthen the authority of the state.

This statement comes after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the government has tasked the Lebanese Army with developing an executive plan to restrict weapons to legitimate institutions, which will be presented to the Cabinet before the end of August for approval.

In this context, the Cabinet acknowledged the continuation of discussions regarding the plan proposed by the American envoy to Lebanon, Tom Barak, which includes a timeline for disarming Hezbollah, a move that observers consider a political escalation that could disrupt the internal Lebanese landscape.

In contrast, Hezbollah strongly rejected the government's decision, considering it a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and granting Israel a wider margin to tamper with the country's security, sovereignty, and borders. At the same time, it expressed its openness to dialogue about a national security strategy, provided that it does not take place under the pressure of aggression, reaffirming its commitment to defend Lebanon and participate in reconstruction efforts and the release of prisoners.