On Friday, Lebanon’s cabinet held a session with commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces Rodolphe Haykal presenting the army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah as part of a process to monopolize arms in the hands of the state.
The session saw the exit of five ministers affiliated with Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. Analysis suggests that the exit can be seen as part of Hezbollah’s clinging to its arms, but also to the perceived “outside-of-the-norms” nature of the session, given no Shiite ministers were present.
Timeline and Details
The session resumed and the cabinet eventually “welcomed” the army’s plan – albeit it remains unclear what this welcoming response concretely includes. No timeline for the plan was mentioned. Information Minister Paul Morcos said the army would begin implementing the plan according to its logistical, material, and logistical capabilities, and that the details would remain secret.
While the news of the government welcoming the plan might seem positive to some, the lack of transparency and timeline for its implementation pose serious concerns regarding its feasibility.
Analysis has pointed out that the plan’s presentation and its welcoming by the government only serve to postpone or ignoredealing with the issue at hand, especially when it comes to being paired with an end to Israeli violations and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territories.
Hezbollah’s Stance
On the other hand, Head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Komati, said that the government stance for arms monopolization is an opportunity to prevent Lebanon from sliding into chaos. He interprets the government’s stance as stating that any progress on the plan depends on Israel’s compliance.
Komati explains that Hezbollah “categorically rejects” the cabinet’s decisions on Friday and expects the government to draft a national security strategy.
Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar also said that any decision taken without Shiite ministers would be null and void, as it would be considered against the country’s power-sharing system.
