The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah has ruled out the possibility of disarming its units and transferring weapons to government forces, even in the event of a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory. This was reported by Al Arabiya.
According to the channel’s sources, Hezbollah emphasized that “no one in its leadership has the authority to make decisions regarding the transfer of weapons.” Moreover, the movement’s leaders have not agreed to comply with this demand, even if “another party” takes on the corresponding responsibility. They are also prepared to escalate tensions with the presidential office and the Lebanese government if disarmament is forced upon them.
The same sources noted that Hezbollah’s stance on refusing to hand over weapons has caused discontent within Lebanon’s cabinet, as it contradicts President Joseph Aoun’s and the government’s course aimed at limiting the arms controlled by the movement.
On June 19, during a visit to Beirut, U.S. Special Representative for Middle East Affairs Tom Barrack proposed developing a timeline for the handover of weapons by Hezbollah units to the Lebanese army. He insisted the process should cover all areas of Lebanon and be completed by November of this year.
Author: Mariam Mkrtchyan
