Lebanese cabinet expected to pass executive order asserting sole state control over weapons

Formal commitment to disarming non-state groups would be a step towards meeting US demands

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and acting army chief Maj Gen Hassan Audi, third from left, during a visit to the southern town of Khiam. EPA

Lebanon’s Cabinet is expected to pass an executive order next week that enshrines the state’s commitment to maintaining exclusive control of weapons nationwide, political sources told The National on Friday.

An executive order would formalise into policy what Lebanese leaders have been trying to achieve since a November ceasefire officially put an end to fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah party and paramilitary organisation.

The expected move follows reports that the US has ramped up pressure on Lebanon’s leaders to issue a formal cabinet decision committing to disarm Hezbollah – a position also taken by the US-backed Lebanese Forces party, a rival of Hezbollah. The LF has accused the state’s top leadership – the President, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker – of negotiating on behalf of Lebanon without the collective input of the government.

“Our position has been very clear since the beginning,” said Ghassan Hasbani, an LF member of parliament. “We’re demanding from the government, which we’re part of, to take a collective decision to put a timeline for the implementation of removal of arms, and the dismantling of militant armed groups by the end of this year.”

But a Lebanese political source, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed scepticism that the executive order would amount to a major political decision. “The order will probably condition disarmament on Israel’s withdrawal,” said the source.

Another political source close to the LF told The National that they were lobbying for a majority vote at the cabinet meeting. “We’re not observers or spectators. We are part of this government and we’re going to push for a decision.”

The November ceasefire, which ended 14 months of war, required Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon, Hezbollah’s disarmament starting with the area south of Lebanon’s Litani river, and the eventual deployment of the Lebanese army throughout the entirety of the state.

But Israel has refused to withdraw from five Lebanese points of territory it occupied during the war and continues to attack Lebanon almost daily, while Hezbollah has conditioned its disarmament on Israel’s withdrawal – putting Lebanon’s leaders in a difficult position.

Next week’s cabinet meeting to enshrine the state’s monopoly on arms follows a forceful speech from President Joseph Aoun, the former army chief, in which he made explicit mention of Hezbollah’s arsenal for the first time.

Mr Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to reclaiming weapons from all paramilitary groups, “including those of Hezbollah”.

Lebanese President calls on Hezbollah to surrender its weapons

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The President’s speech was also an indirect response to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, who earlier this week accused the US and Israel of employing “intimidation and threats”, and said the November ceasefire was meant “exclusively for the south Litani area” and not the whole of Lebanon.

“Anyone calling today for the surrender of weapons, whether internally or externally, on the Arab or the international stage, is serving the Israeli project,” Mr Qassem said on Wednesday.

Hezbollah is believed to still have a superior military capability to the Lebanese army, despite suffering major losses in its leadership and arsenal during its war with Israel, which began on October 8, 2023, in support of its ally Hamas in the Gaza strip.

The group – along with its allies – also form a political bloc that wields the power to paralyse parliamentary endeavours.

“We’re hoping that after what we heard from the President, this can be translated into a government decision to give clear orders to the Lebanese Armed Forces to put out a plan with a timeline to start its execution,” Mr Hasbani told The National.

“There will be some kind of executive order coming out on Tuesday, but it’s one thing to say we want it to happen as a prerequisite, and another for it to actually be implemented.

“This way it becomes an official government position rather than the political views of the political leaders.”

Hezbollah has publicly remained staunch in its demand that Israel withdraw from Lebanese territory and cease its attacks before it will disarm, but it has thus far refrained from responding to Israeli attacks.

Another political source close to the Lebanese Forces said that passing executive order would be “just another attempt to move forward on paper”.

“Israel’s presence in Lebanon suits both Hezbollah and Israel. Israel won’t leave unless Hezbollah disarms and Hezbollah won’t disarm unless Israel withdraws. They’re both buying and selling time.”