Hezbollah rejects Lebanon’s four-month disarmament timeline, calls move pro-Israel

Hezbollah on Tuesday rejected a Lebanese government decision granting the army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, saying the move serves Israeli interests, according to a Reuters report.

The Lebanese cabinet in August 2025 tasked the army with drafting and beginning to implement a strategy to bring all non-state weapons under state control, an effort widely seen as targeting Hezbollah following its 2024 war with Israel.

In September 2025, the cabinet formally endorsed the army’s plan to disarm the Iran-backed Shi’ite group but stopped short of setting a clear timetable, warning that the military’s limited resources and ongoing Israeli strikes could hamper progress.

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Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Monday that prioritising disarmament was “a major mistake” that serves “the goals of Israeli aggression.”

Following a cabinet meeting late Monday, Information Minister Paul Morcos said the government had reviewed the army’s monthly report on its arms control plan, which includes restricting weapons in areas north of the Litani River up to the Awali River in Sidon, and granted the military four months to proceed.

“The required time frame is four months, renewable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and field obstacles,” Reuters quoted Morcos as saying at  a press conference.

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Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah signalled the group’s rejection of both the timeline and the broader disarmament approach, saying, “we cannot be lenient.”

Shi’ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session in protest, underscoring deep political divisions over the issue.

Israel has described Hezbollah’s disarmament as a security priority, arguing that weapons held outside Lebanese state control pose a direct threat. Israeli officials have said any plan must be fully implemented, particularly in border areas, and that continued Hezbollah military activity violates relevant international resolutions.

Israel has also vowed to continue what it calls measures to prevent the entrenchment or arming of hostile actors in Lebanon until cross-border threats are removed.

With inputs from agencies