The Lebanese government discusses a plan to disarm Hezbollah amid internal division and regional tension

The Lebanese government will hold a session tomorrow, Friday, to discuss a plan related to disarming Hezbollah, in a move considered a sensitive turning point in the political and security landscape of the country. This session comes amid a sharp internal division between supporters of stripping the party of its weapons with American support, and opponents who see its arsenal as a guarantee against Israel.

Calls for disarming Hezbollah have increased following last year's devastating war with Israel, which shifted the balance of power in Lebanon, while the party and its ally, the Amal Movement, insist on rejecting any steps towards dismantling its weapons.

The session is taking place against the backdrop of escalating Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, which resulted in the deaths of four people on Wednesday. The Israeli army announced that its strikes targeted a site used by Hezbollah for military purposes.

The Lebanese government had tasked the army on August 5 with developing a plan to confine weapons to the state by the end of the year. However, diplomatic sources suggested to Reuters that a clear timeline would likely be avoided, for fear of igniting a confrontation with the party, at a time when the possibility of ministers loyal to it and the Amal Movement withdrawing from the session looms if decisions opposing their positions are passed.

The Lebanese army, restructured after the civil war (1975–1990), is viewed as a guarantor of civil peace. Meanwhile, Israel indicated last week its readiness to reduce its military presence in southern Lebanon if Beirut takes practical steps to confine weapons to the state.

For its part, Hezbollah has firmly rejected any plans to disarm, considering that its arsenal protects Lebanon from "Israeli aggressions." Iranian official Ali Akbar Velayati also criticized Beirut's moves in this direction last month.

It is worth noting that an American proposal was presented last month that included disarming the party by the end of the year in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal and economic support for Lebanon.