Lebanese government adopts army plan for state monopoly of weapons

ISTANBUL

The Lebanese government on Friday adopted an army plan to restrict weapons to state control, while deciding to keep the scheme’s contents confidential.

“The Cabinet listened to the army’s plan to confine weapons, welcomed it, and decided to maintain the confidentiality of its contents and deliberations,” Information Minister Paul Marcos told a press conference.

He said the army command will submit a monthly report to the government on the matter.

The army will begin implementing the plan “in line with the available logistical, financial, and human resources,” he added.

“Lebanon insists on the need to implement Resolution 1701, and Israel’s continued violations confirm its evasion of its obligations,” he added.

Adopted in 2006, the resolution calls for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the deployment of up to 15,000 UNIFIL troops to support the Lebanese army.

The minister said President Joseph Aoun renewed his condemnation of Israeli attacks and praised Lebanese diplomacy for its role in renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL, considering it “a victory for Lebanon.”

“There will be no investments without ensuring conditions of security and safety in the country,” he said, quoting Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Earlier, five Shiite ministers withdrew from the Cabinet session in protest at the discussion of the army plan to confine weapons to the state authority.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and Environment Minister Tamara Al-Zein from the Amal Movement, Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine and Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar from Hezbollah, as well as Administrative Development Minister Fadi Makki, an independent, all walked out.

Their walkout came after Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal entered the session to present the army plan.

Last month, the Lebanese Cabinet tasked the army with drafting a comprehensive disarmament plan, marking a move widely seen as targeting Hezbollah for the first time in years.

The Cabinet also endorsed the goals of a US-backed proposal, submitted by special envoy Tom Barrack, which calls for exclusive state control over all weapons in Lebanon.

Israel launched military operations in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target activities of the Hezbollah group.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.