Hezbollah's arsenal remains: Lebanon stalls on disarmament as international community awaits

Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

February 26, 2025, marked the confidence vote session of Lebanon's new government. 

Ninety-two days have passed since then, but there has been no tangible progress on one of its most critical commitments: disarming all non-state actors and ensuring that weapons are solely in the hands of the Lebanese state.

Despite repeated promises, Lebanon's official stance on the issue has moved at what critics describe as a "snail's pace." 

The international community continues to watch closely, expecting decisive action. 

Yet, Hezbollah maintains that it is willing to cooperate—only once the government fully implements both the ministerial statement and the inaugural presidential speech. When asked to clarify this position, MP Hassan Fadlallah confirmed that cooperation remains conditional.

While the Lebanese Army has reportedly deployed across most of the area south of the Litani River, except the five Israeli-occupied hills, and has secured approximately 80% of Hezbollah's weapons stockpiles in that region, the remainder lies in areas that require demining. Efforts are ongoing, but they are far from sufficient.

The broader concern remains north of the Litani, where Hezbollah's arsenal has not been addressed. Both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam are reportedly fully aware of the need to resolve this matter.

Meanwhile, Israel has shown no intention of withdrawing from the five occupied hills and continues its violations and targeted assassinations. Talks over Hezbollah's detained fighters remain stalled, leaving the process in a political deadlock.

Observers now question whether a breakthrough might come from initiating a national defense dialogue—one that Hezbollah might join unconditionally—or from jumpstarting reconstruction efforts to build trust, potentially starting with the $250 million World Bank loan designated for that purpose.

In any case, the issue of disarmament requires urgent action before the country risks sliding back into a broader conflict—something Israel may be preparing for more eagerly than any other scenario.