Shiite ministers walk out of Lebanon cabinet talks on Hezbollah disarmament
Hezbollah and Amal representatives reject army-led plan, warn of external pressure
BEIRUT, Lebanon (MNTV) — Lebanon’s cabinet convened to discuss an army-prepared plan to disarm Hezbollah and place all weapons under state authority, but ministers from Hezbollah, the Shiite Amal movement, and independent Shiite minister Fadi Makki staged a walkout in protest.
The session at the Presidential Palace in Baabda was attended by President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and senior officials.
Tensions rose as Army Commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal entered the chamber, prompting Shiite representatives to leave. Hezbollah and Amal ministers subsequently exited the government headquarters entirely.
Information Minister Paul Morcos told reporters after the meeting that the Lebanese army would begin implementing the disarmament plan “within the limits of its logistical, material, and human resources.”
He added that cabinet members agreed to keep the details of the plan confidential.
The latest confrontation comes as Hezbollah faces mounting pressure following a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that halted Israeli military operations in November.
International donors have linked reconstruction aid, estimated at $11 billion by the World Bank, to progress on disarmament. The relentless Israeli attacks left more than 4,000 dead in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians.
Hezbollah has consistently rejected disarmament, insisting that Israel must first withdraw from five strategic hills inside Lebanese territory and stop near-daily air raids.
Last month, the group blamed the government of bowing to U.S. and Israeli demands after ministers authorized the army to prepare a weapons-control plan.
A Hezbollah official said, “We consider this plan the product of an illegal decision, and we will not engage in discussions based on a framework we do not recognize,” the official stated.
Lebanese leaders remain wary of forcing the issue, fearing internal strife if Hezbollah’s heavy weapons, drones, and missile systems are directly targeted.
Since the cease-fire, the army has collected scattered caches of arms south of the Litani River, but Hezbollah’s main arsenal remains concealed.
The renewed debate comes amid escalating violence along the southern border. Lebanese health officials reported that Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week killed four people and wounded 17, including children.
The foreign ministry condemned the raids and appealed to the international community to pressure Israel to cease its attacks.
Meanwhile, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) denounced Israel for a drone incident in which four grenades were dropped near peacekeepers.
The mission called it among the most serious threats to its personnel since November’s cease-fire. Israel denied deliberate targeting, claiming instead that it had deployed sonic bombs in pursuit of a suspect in the border area.
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