Lebanon: Government Discusses Army Plan to Disarm Hezbollah

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Sea_AFP: Lebanese government members are holding an important meeting on Friday to discuss the plan proposed by the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah. In an unprecedented decision, the government tasked the army in early August with preparing a plan to disarm the party by the end of this year, amid American pressure and fears that Israel would carry out threats of a new military campaign months after the end of a bloody confrontation between it and Hezbollah that lasted nearly a year. "Reversing a non-constitutional decision" For its part, Hezbollah renewed its rejection of the government's decision on Wednesday. Its parliamentary bloc called in a statement on the authorities to "reverse its non-constitutional and non-national decision on the issue of resistance weapons and refrain from the plans intended to be passed in this regard." Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Fadi Makki told Agence France-Presse before the session on the army's plan: "There are no details yet, (the plan) will be presented today at three o'clock (local time), it has not been distributed yet," adding: "There are no expectations, we are going to the session with positivity." The government places its decision, which the party's opponents and US envoy Tom Barak described as historic, within the framework of implementing its obligations in the ceasefire agreement concluded with US mediation that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel on November 27. It stipulated that the carrying of weapons be restricted to the official Lebanese security and military agencies. "Continuous attacks" For its part, Israel has intensified its raids on southern Lebanon during the past two days, despite the ceasefire, which resulted in the death of five people. The Hebrew state has not stopped its almost daily operations, which it says target weapons depots and Hezbollah leaders. In this regard, David Wood, a researcher on Lebanese affairs at the International Crisis Group, says that "Israel is trying to send a message that concrete measures on disarmament, not promises or words, are what will do the trick." For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam considered on Thursday that the international community must act immediately "to compel Israel" to stop these "continuous attacks." "A new era for Lebanon" In addition, before the session, advertising photos were spread in the streets of Beirut showing both the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, with the words "We are all with you, one army, one weapon, one state, a new era for Lebanon" written on them. It is worth mentioning that the Lebanese government includes five Shiite ministers, two of whom are affiliated with Hezbollah and two with its ally, the Amal Movement, in addition to Minister Fadi Makki, who was chosen by the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun. In August, the Shiite ministers withdrew from the government session that was devoted to discussing the disarmament of Hezbollah. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, reported on Thursday that the ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement may refuse to discuss the item related to the army's plan in Friday's session. "A calm and consensual dialogue" For his part, in an attempt to ease tension, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, who leads the Amal Movement, called on Sunday to discuss the fate of weapons "within the framework of a calm and consensual dialogue." It is noteworthy that Hezbollah was the only military group outside the legitimate forces that retained weapons after the end of the war (1975-1990), under the pretext of "confronting Israel." Meanwhile, the issue of disarming it has been a thorny issue in Lebanon for decades. It has caused successive political crises and deepened sectarian and political divisions in the country.