Hezbollah dismisses the disarmament proposal and the government’s four-month schedule

The armed group Hezbollah dismissed on Tuesday the Lebanese government’s decision to allow the army a minimum of four months to progress with the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, asserting that it would not accept what it perceives as a measure benefiting Israel.

In August 2025, Lebanon’s cabinet assigned the army the responsibility of formulating and initiating a plan to bring all armed groups’ weapons under state control, primarily targeting the disarmament of Hezbollah following its destructive conflict with Israel in 2024.

In September 2025, the cabinet officially endorsed the army’s initiative to disarm the Iran-backed Shi’ite militia. However, it refrained from establishing a specific timeline and warned that the military’s constrained capabilities, along with ongoing Israeli strikes, might impede progress.

In a speech on Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that the Lebanese government’s emphasis on disarmament represents a significant error, as this approach aligns with the objectives of Israeli aggression.

During a press conference late on Monday following a cabinet meeting, Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos stated that the government acknowledged the army’s monthly report concerning its arms control plan. This plan involves limiting weapons in regions extending from the Litani River to the Awali River in Sidon, and the government has allocated a period of four months for this initiative. “The required time frame is four months, renewable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and field obstacles,” he remarked.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah stated, “we cannot be lenient,” indicating the group’s dismissal of the timeline and the overall strategy regarding its weapons.

Hezbollah has dismissed the disarmament initiative as a mistake, while Israel persists in its actions against Lebanon, prompting Shi’ite ministers to leave the cabinet meeting in protest.

Israel has stated that disarming Hezbollah is a key security concern, contending that the group’s weapons, which are not under the control of the Lebanese state, present a direct threat to its safety.

Israeli officials assert that any disarmament plan needs to be thoroughly and effectively executed, particularly in regions near the border, and they emphasize that ongoing Hezbollah military operations represent a breach of pertinent international resolutions.

Israel has stated that it will persist in what it terms actions to prevent the entrenchment or arming of hostile actors in Lebanon until cross-border threats are eradicated.