Before a government cabinet meeting on the subject, Hezbollah supporters have gathered in the Lebanese capital to voice their opposition to the organization’s demise.
In response to American pressure on Lebanon to release its weapons, the demonstrations took place in Beirut on Monday night.
Hezbollah’s leadership was cut down by a conflict with Israel last year, which also claimed the lives of thousands of its fighters, and forced tens of thousands of its supporters from their destroyed homes.
The US and Lebanon have been discussing a disarmament roadmap in recent months. The new Lebanoni leadership has vowed to expand its control over all of its territory, but so far it has avoided engaging in combative action against Hezbollah.
According to Zeina Khodr of Al Jazeera, Hezbollah supporters protested because they believe disarmament will affect their standing and security.
According to Khodr, who is based in Beirut, “Hezbollah has made its position clear: it will not defy the law because doing so would benefit Israel’s interests, not Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Naim Qassem, the head of Hezbollah, reported to the country’s leaders that the organization feels threatened and that funds for reconstruction won’t be provided if they don’t disarm.
Hezbollah reaffirmed its demands prior to any discussion of disarmament, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) agency prior to Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, including the release of Lebanese prisoners and the resolution of Israel’s nuclear agreement, through Lebanese MP Ali Fayad.
by force ?
However, the political leadership of Lebanon is urging the change, even if it is forced.
It might be better to centralize the weapons with the Lebanese armed forces, according to Elias Hankash, a second member of the parliament.
“But everything has been done to prevent any clashes with Hezbollah,” he said.
Hezbollah will be defeated by the Lebanese army if and when a political decision is made to forcefully disarm it, according to Khodr.
President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, who also referred to the subject of disarmament as “i call on all political parties to approach the issue of arms control with full responsibility,” said Aoun on Friday. He also argued that sectarian divisions have had a negative impact on national harmony.
Street violence resulted from the government’s decision to shut down the organization’s telecommunication network in 2008.
Nizar Hani, the president’s agriculture minister, claimed the disarmament process has a set date. He added that hundreds of Hezbollah sites and weapons depots have already been taken over by the Lebanese army.
Hani argued that the organization, which has a significant role in “liberating the land,” needs to be the sole decision-maker for war and peace.
Hezbollah has long been Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force, and Khodr said that despite losing some of its military might in its conflict with Israel last year, it has not completely lost.
Another MP, Mark Daou, told Al Jazeera, “Hezbollah is still strong in the state because of the monopoly] it has] over Shia representation as well as the appointment of leading figures in all of the states.”
Different viewpoints exist regarding Hezbollah’s role and the need for disarmament in Lebanon’s political landscape and society.
Despite the ceasefire that has been in place between the two countries since November 2024, the issue has remained a hot topic in Lebanon’s politics for decades, but there is now a sense of urgency as a result of growing international pressure and growing military pressure from Israel, which frequently targets Hezbollah.
