No withdrawal from Lebanon until army begins disarming Hezbollah, Israel says

Hezbollah insisted the group would not give up its weapons, saying that disarming it would be like “taking its soul out"

UN peacekeepers inspect a destroyed Hezbollah position in southern Lebanon. AP

Israel on Monday said it would begin a phased withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon, but only after the Lebanese army starts implementing a government decision to disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem, in a speech later, said the group would not give up its weapons, stressing that disarming Hezbollah would be like “taking its soul out.”

“You will face our wrath if you proceed,” he warned, adding that Lebanon should first compel Israel to withdraw and halt its attacks, and only then discuss a defence strategy.

The statement, issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, came as US envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus were due in Beirut following meetings in Israel.

The two US officials had pressed Israel to scale back its attacks in Lebanon, according to media reports, arguing that easing military pressure could encourage the Lebanese government to take a step forward on Hezbollah’s disarmament plan.

The timing also coincides with a looming deadline: by the end of the month, the Lebanese army is expected to unveil its plan for implementing the government’s historic decision to disarm the Iran-backed group.

Israel, however, made clear in its statement that it expects the Lebanese army to begin carrying out the plan before it moves to de-escalate.

"If the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the US-led security mechanism," the Israeli statement clarified.

It added that Israel "acknowledges the significant step taken by the Lebanese government, under the leadership of President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam" to work towards "the disarmament of Hezbollah by the end of 2025".

It described it as a "momentous decision".

"In light of this important development, Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations," the statement read.

Lebanese soldiers inspect the wreckage of a car following an Israeli drone strike in the town of Ansariyeh, southern Lebanon. EPA

Hezbollah, which has already rejected the vote, has insisted it will not accept discussing a disarmament plan until Israel withdraws from occupied Lebanese territory and stops its attacks on the country.

Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, has told Lebanese leaders the group cannot be disarmed as the prospect of a new war with Israel grows, said sources briefed on the meetings of Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani in Beirut this month.

On Monday, an Israeli strike killed one person in the southern Lebanese village of Tibnin, the Lebanese health ministry reported. Israel conducts near-daily attacks on Lebanon, with at least 200 people killed in Israeli strikes since a ceasefire was declared last November.

Concessions and guarantees

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned there would be “no life” for Lebanon if the government confronted the group, accusing it of surrendering to Washington’s demands on behalf of Israel. On Monday, he reiterated that any disarmament plan should be discussed with his group in a process that would start after Israel withdraws from Lebanon.

Sources close to Hezbollah also criticised the government for failing to "use the weapons issue" as a bargaining chip to press Washington to secure the release of a number of Lebanese prisoners or to push Israel to withdraw from occupied areas.

The group’s position has been bolstered in recent weeks by what a Lebanese military source described as “moral support” from Iranian officials.

Lebanon is in desperate need of financial support to begin rebuilding after the devastating war with Israel. The US and other countries have made clear that aid will not come before a formal decision to disarm Hezbollah is taken.

“The Lebanese army is capable of meeting the deadline to present the plan requested by the government to ensure only state institutions possess weapons,” a senior Lebanese military source told The National on Monday.

“Any delay would be, rather, a political decision," explained the source, adding that the Lebanese army is preparing a two-phase disarmament plan that would include both the north and south of the Litani River.

Lebanon charges army with plan to give state sole access to weapons

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Tasking the army with drafting the plan to establish a state monopoly on weapons by the end of the year is a clear challenge to Hezbollah’s armed status.

The decision is rooted in growing US pressure. Mr Barrack introduced a broader roadmap, including Hezbollah’s disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon and arms consolidation by year-end.

Willing to disarm

Without a formal commitment from Beirut, Washington threatened to freeze its mediation efforts. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have repeatedly asserted the state's exclusive right to bear arms.

But not all in government are on board. Shiite ministers – aligned with Hezbollah, Amal and independent MPs – walked out of the deliberations in protest.

Lebanese officials are now watching closely to see how Hezbollah will respond. Together with the Amal Movement, the group has called for a protest on Wednesday in Beirut’s Riad Al Solh Square to denounce the government’s decision to strip it of its weapons, but cancelled it later on.

“Hezbollah does not appear willing to disarm without concessions or guarantees in return,” said the military source. “They are looking for an outcome” in return.

A Lebanese security source described the Israeli statement as an attempt to further pressure domestic affairs by trying to sow strife between the army and Hezbollah.

“This is a clear attempt to cause chaos. Naming the president and the prime minister is a deliberate effort to influence domestic politics,” the source explained.

For Hezbollah, Israel is throwing the ball into Lebanon’s court.

“The writing is on the wall: the Lebanese government’s lax stance has allowed Netanyahu to lecture the Lebanese on what he claims is the best path for their country,” a source close to Hezbollah told The National.

“With his statement, Netanyahu is once again trying to throw the ball into Lebanon’s court without offering any concession or step from Israel."

The source stated that "Netanyahu undermines the idea of step for step that Tom Barrack’s initiative was supposed to be built on. After the Lebanese government’s decision, Israel was expected to take a step — but it did not".

"Netanyahu’s idea reaffirms his bet on sparking internal clashes among the Lebanese, while committing Israel to no concessions or initiatives of its own."