Beirut signals expanded state control while Hezbollah’s defiance threatens fragile regional stability and ceasefire enforcement.
The government of Lebanon is expected to decide next week on advancing the second phase of its national disarmament initiative — a plan aimed at extending full state authority north of the Litani River and consolidating control over all armed factions.
Information Minister Paul Morcos confirmed that the decision will follow a strategic briefing by the Lebanese Armed Forces, outlining operational needs and capabilities. The army already assumed control of territory south of the Litani earlier this year, near the border with Israel.
The disarmament drive stems from the US-brokered ceasefire that ended hostilities in November 2024 between Israel and the Hezbollah. Despite the agreement, Hezbollah has continued rebuilding its military infrastructure, prompting Israeli precision strikes against militant targets to enforce deterrence.
Beirut insists the objective is stability and sovereign authority, not internal confrontation. Morcos ruled out the prospect of clashes between the national army and Hezbollah, stressing that the state seeks to gradually unify security control.
Yet the challenge remains immense: Hezbollah has publicly rejected surrendering its weapons, vowing to maintain its arsenal. The coming cabinet decision will test Lebanon’s resolve — and determine whether state authority can finally prevail over entrenched militia power.
