Lebanon is bracing for a pivotal moment as its government prepares to debate a sweeping military plan aimed at disarming all militant groups in the country, most notably Hezbollah, by the end of 2025. According to statements from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office, the Lebanese cabinet will convene on September 5 at the Baabda Presidential Palace to discuss the army’s proposed strategy—a plan that could reshape the nation’s security landscape and test the fragile peace that has held since last year’s devastating conflict with Israel.
This high-stakes cabinet session was initially scheduled for September 2 but was pushed back to allow for further preparation. The urgency and gravity of the agenda are clear: in early August, the government tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces with drafting a comprehensive blueprint to disarm all armed factions, including Hezbollah, by year’s end. As reported by the Associated Press, the army chief, Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, described the coming period as a “delicate stage during which it will carry out sensitive missions and will take all the steps needed to make these missions successful taking into consideration the preservation of civil peace and internal stability.”
The plan’s significance cannot be overstated. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed faction that emerged as a dominant force during and after Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, has long resisted calls for disarmament. It was the only group allowed to retain its arsenal after the war, justified at the time by the ongoing Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, which only ended in 2000. Now, with the Lebanese state under pressure to assert a monopoly on arms, the stakes have never been higher.
Hezbollah’s leadership has made its position abundantly clear. The group has publicly refused to hand over its weapons, arguing that the government’s disarmament drive merely serves Israel’s interests. Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, issued a stern warning earlier this month, stating that “the government is to blame if the situation gets out of control and leads to internal conflict in the small nation.” According to AP and other media outlets, Qassem’s comments have fueled fears of renewed civil strife should the state attempt to forcibly disarm the group.
Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Menassa, however, has pushed back against such threats. As reported by multiple sources, Menassa declared that the state is “not afraid” and emphasized that “there can no longer be military dualism in Lebanon.” His remarks underscore the government’s determination to end the longstanding coexistence of state and non-state military power—a dualism that has defined Lebanon’s security environment for decades.
The army’s task is daunting. Despite suffering significant setbacks in last year’s war with Israel, Hezbollah is still believed to possess a formidable arsenal, including ballistic rockets, precision-guided missiles, and drones. The group’s continued strength is a major concern for both Israel and the United States, which have backed the Lebanese government’s push for disarmament. Yet, Hezbollah insists it will not even discuss relinquishing its weapons until Israel withdraws from five strategic border posts it continues to occupy and halts its near-daily airstrikes on Lebanese territory. According to the Associated Press, these strikes have killed or wounded hundreds, most of them Hezbollah fighters.
The November 2024 U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah included a clear mandate: Lebanon must assert full control over all arms within its borders, while Israel is required to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon. But implementation has been rocky. Israel refuses to pull out of the five contested hills until Hezbollah is fully disarmed, and U.S.-mediated negotiations have stalled as a result. Lebanese officials have criticized Washington for failing to pressure Israel into upholding its commitments under the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army has already begun to make headway in other areas. In a notable development, the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah Movement started handing over its weapons to the army last week, surrendering arms in four refugee camps—a first in decades. Trucks laden with surrendered weapons were seen passing through Tyre city in southern Lebanon, escorted by Lebanese soldiers. This move marks a significant step toward reducing the number of armed groups operating independently within Lebanon’s borders.
Much of the region south of the Litani River, where United Nations peacekeepers operate alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces, has also been disarmed, according to multiple news reports. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has played a crucial role in monitoring the situation, repeatedly calling for respect of the Blue Line—the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel established in 2000 after Israel’s military withdrawal.
Yet, the risks for the Lebanese military are real and immediate. On August 29, two Lebanese soldiers were killed when an Israeli drone they were inspecting exploded. "This tragic loss highlights the risks facing the Lebanese Armed Forces as they assume greater responsibilities in securing southern Lebanon," UNIFIL noted in a statement. The following day, the Israeli military claimed to have killed an official of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Forces in a drone strike in the village of Sir el-Gharbiyeh, as reported by Lebanese state media.
Despite these dangers, Gen. Haykal has emphasized the army’s commitment to preserving civil peace and internal stability as it undertakes what he called “sensitive missions.” He also revealed that the army is coordinating with Syrian authorities to control the border, a move seen as crucial given that much of Hezbollah’s weaponry historically entered Lebanon via Syria before the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024.
International dynamics are adding further complexity to the situation. The UN Security Council recently extended UNIFIL’s mandate until the end of 2026, but U.S. and Israeli officials made clear this would be the final renewal. Washington’s envoy to the UN stated this would be the last time the U.S. votes in favor of an extension, marking the end of nearly five decades of UN peacekeeping in south Lebanon.
As the September 5 cabinet session approaches, all eyes are on Beirut. The outcome could determine whether Lebanon finally turns the page on its long history of armed militias—or slides back into instability. The Lebanese army, now at the center of this historic undertaking, faces a challenge as complex as any in the region’s tumultuous history. The coming weeks will reveal whether the pledge to disarm all militant groups is a turning point for Lebanon, or merely another chapter in its ongoing struggle for sovereignty and peace.