Lebanon insists disarmament of Hezbollah on track after US links progress to further funding for army

US defence bill proposes suspension of aid to Lebanese Armed Forces if it is deemed unwilling to carry out task

Lebanese troops on a military vehicle south of the Litani river, the area covered in the first phase of arms control. Reuters

Lebanon's plans to bring all weapons under state control remain on track, government officials told The National after it emerged that a new US defence bill would make support for the Lebanese army conditional on progress in disarming Hezbollah.

The officials did not comment directly on the US bill, but insisted that the Lebanese Armed Forces were close to completing the first phase of the arms control plan, which entails disarming the Iran-backed group in the southernmost areas bordering Israel.

“The LAF are nearing completion of the first phase of the deployment plan to ensure the exclusive authority over arms south of the Litani River, an achievement that was positively received by the cabinet,” one government official said.

US bill links Lebanese army aid to Hezbollah disarmament

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“The second phase, covering the area between the Litani and the Awali rivers, is expected to begin after New Year,” they said.

According to the final text of this year's National Defence Authorisation Act released by US legislators this week, Washington's military assistance to Lebanon is envisaged to be used to support the disarmament of Hezbollah.

The bill states that the Secretary of Defence and the head of US Central Command must submit a report by June 30, 2026 on plans to continue financial and material aid, to include a “rubric for assessing the progress of the Lebanese Armed Forces in disarming Hezbollah, and options for suspending assistance to the LAF if it is determined that such forces are unwilling to act to disarm Hezbollah”.

The bill, which outlines US defence policy and funding for the next fiscal year, could come up for a vote as early as this week.

The Lebanese state is effectively bankrupt, so support from other countries for its underfunded army is vital. President Donald Trump's administration sent about $230 million to support Lebanon's security forces in October.

A US State Department spokesperson told The National that it is directly supporting both the LAF and the Lebanese Internal Security Forces “as they work to extend Lebanese sovereignty across the entirety of Lebanon and fully implement their courageous decision to disarm Hezbollah”.

“Washington has affirmed its commitment to support the Lebanese security forces with the approval of over $237 million in security assistance, split between the LAF ($192.7 million) and the ISF ($45 million).”

Lebanon has come under intense pressure from Washington to speed up the disarmament of Hezbollah, which was the strongest military force in the country and the most powerful component of Iran's regional “axis of resistance” before being severely weakened in a war with Israel last year.

Israel has spent the past year regularly bombing the south of Lebanon despite an agreed ceasefire. AFP

The army has gradually increased its presence in south Lebanon, as required under the November 2024 ceasefire agreement that ended more than a year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. However, Israel has not withdrawn as stipulated in the truce deal and has reinforced its positions in south Lebanon.

Beirut has blamed Israel's daily attacks and continued occupation of five points of Lebanese territory for the delays in disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani.

US and Israeli officials have said the disarmament process has gone too slowly, while also claiming Hezbollah is rebuilding, without providing evidence. The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon has rebuffed such claims, telling Israeli media recently that there was no evidence of Hezbollah rebuilding south of the Litani.

The US last month cancelled a visit to Washington by Lebanese army chief Gen Rodolphe Haykal after the LAF issued a statement condemning “enemy” attacks on its territory. However, it is understood plans are under way for the visit to take place early next year.

Lebanon adopted an unprecedented plan to disarm Hezbollah in September and has spoken of significant progress south of the Litani. However, Hezbollah has ruled out any conversation over its weapons until Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory.

Army officials say they are proceeding carefully to avoid fuelling internal conflict and a civil war.

“Given the challenging conditions and limited resources under which the army successfully advanced the first phase, we anticipate that donor countries will move towards providing more concrete and timely support to enable the LAF to carry forward the next stages of the plan,” the Lebanese government official.

Another government official said the disarmament plan was strictly a Lebanese internal affair and “need”, irrespective of outside demands.

“We believe that the United States wants what we want,” the official said, and expressed confidence that Washington would continue to support Lebanon in achieving its aim.

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The official, who was present when Gen Haykal briefed the cabinet earlier this month, said they retained “full confidence” that the army was implementing its task and had the “willingness” to do it.

The official said the government's policy to bring all weapons under state control was not driven by the US; the plans were first outlined by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in their opening statements at the start of the year.

If anything, the government wants to accelerate the process where possible, while acknowledging the complexities of the task, said the official.