Lebanon asks army to disarm defiant Hezbollah

Lebanon's government asked the national army on Tuesday to prepare a plan to monopolize weapons in the hands of the state by the end of the year, a move that aims to disarm the militant Hezbollah group.

The announcement made by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam after a nearly six-hour Cabinet meeting, came shortly after Hezbollah's leader said his group will not disarm and warned that if Israel intensifies its military operations against his group, the Iran-backed armed faction will resume firing missiles toward Israel.

Salam said the government asked the army to have the plan ready by the end of the month.

The government's move came as Beirut is under US pressure to disarm Hezbollah that recently fought a 14-month war with Israel and was left gravely weakened, with many of its political and military leaders dead.

The decision came after a July visit by US envoy to Lebanon, Tom Barrack, during which he called for a more decisive policy to disarm the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem gave a speech Tuesday afternoon as the government was meeting to discuss the group's disarmament, rejecting calls to lay down its weapons.

Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November with a US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of people.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities.

Israel's military has said the five locations in Lebanon provide vantage points or are located across from communities in northern Israel, where about 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the war.

Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for one attack on a disputed area along the border.

Since the war ended, Hezbollah has withdrawn most of its fighters and weapons from the area along the border with Israel south of the Litani river.

Last week, President Aoun reiterated calls for Hezbollah to give up its weapons, angering the group’s leadership.

The ceasefire agreement left vague how Hezbollah’s weapons and military facilities north of the Litani river should be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorized facilities starting with the area south of the river.

Hezbollah maintains the deal only covers the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the US say it mandates disarmament of the group throughout Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s weapons are a divisive issue among Lebanese, with some groups calling for its disarmament.

Before the Cabinet meeting ended, two ministers allied with Hezbollah walked out of the session in what appears to be a show of opposition to the decision taken.