Lebanon Faces Tense Standoff as Government Pushes for Hezbollah Disarmament
Beirut – Lebanon finds itself at a delicate crossroads as the government seeks to control armed groups in line with a U.S.-backed plan, following Israel’s recent military campaign against Hezbollah. The Shi’ite movement, which was founded 40 years ago with support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, is resisting calls to disarm, insisting that it cannot do so until Israel ends its strikes and withdraws from a southern Lebanese strip that had long been a Hezbollah stronghold.
“This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together – or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us,” Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech.
Israel has hit Hezbollah hard over the past two years, killing many top commanders, including former leader Hassan Nasrallah, and around 5,000 fighters, while also destroying much of the group’s military arsenal.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described Qassem’s remarks as carrying an implicit threat of civil war, calling them “unacceptable.”
“No party in Lebanon is authorised to bear arms outside the framework of the Lebanese state,” Salam wrote on X, quoting his interview with the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
Last week, the Lebanese cabinet directed the army to ensure that weapons are confined solely to state security forces—a move that has sparked outrage from Hezbollah.
Room for Dialogue, For Now
Qassem accused the government of following an “American-Israeli order to eliminate the resistance, even if that leads to civil war and internal strife.” Yet he also indicated that Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, had decided to hold off on street protests to allow space for talks.
“There is still room for discussion, for adjustments, and for a political resolution before the situation escalates to a confrontation no one wants,” Qassem said.
He added a warning: “But if it is imposed on us, we are ready, and we have no other choice … At that point, there will be a protest in the street, all across Lebanon, that will reach the American embassy.”
A History of Conflict
The latest round of tensions traces back to October 2023, when Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli positions along the southern border in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war. The conflict left parts of Lebanon in ruins.
While Hezbollah and Amal continue to wield political influence, appointing Shi’ite ministers to the cabinet and holding Shi’ite parliamentary seats, they no longer hold the “blocking third” of cabinet posts that previously allowed them to veto decisions.
Hezbollah remains strongly supported within Lebanon’s Shi’ite community, but calls for the group’s disarmament are gaining traction across the broader society, raising the stakes for Lebanon’s fragile political balance.
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