With Israeli intelligence channeled through the US, Lebanon's military has made remarkable progress in neutralizing Hezbollah's weapons in its southern heartlands, a pivotal effort to sustain a November ceasefire that ended fierce hostilities with Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government now faces the daunting challenge of extending this disarmament nationwide, testing the resilience of Lebanon's fragile state.
In a forceful statement to The Wall Street Journal, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam underscored the necessity of state control over all arms, pounding his fists for emphasis. "All over the Lebanese territory, the state should have a monopoly on arms," Salam declared. He revealed that roughly 80% of the government's disarmament objectives in southern Lebanon have been met, marking a significant shift in a region long controlled by Hezbollah.
Senior Arab officials told The Wall Street Journal that US-relayed Israeli intelligence has guided the Lebanese army in uncovering and destroying Hezbollah's remaining weapons depots and military posts in the south. The army discards some seized weaponry but integrates usable assets into its own under-equipped arsenal, strengthening its capabilities.
The Lebanese military has solidified its presence south of the Litani River, securing critical access points in areas once dominated by Hezbollah, The Wall Street Journal reported. An Israeli military official noted, "We do see a lot of areas where the Lebanese army is way more effective than expected," adding, "The IDF is generally pleased by this trend and we are expecting it to continue," referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
The government is also pursuing a multi-stage plan to disarm Palestinian armed factions, primarily active in dense refugee camps, The Wall Street Journal noted. In April, Lebanese forces apprehended members of a Palestinian group accused of firing rockets at Israel, a rare move signaling broader disarmament goals.
Under the ceasefire terms, disarmament begins south of the Litani River, near Israel's border, but Salam and US officials push for nationwide efforts, The Wall Street Journal reported. Hezbollah has complied in the south and ceded security control in areas like Beirut's airport, according to senior Lebanese security officials.
Sources familiar with Hezbollah's strategy told The Wall Street Journal that the group's cooperation may reflect efforts to gain political favor as Lebanon seeks reconstruction funds from Western and Gulf states, which often condition aid on measures against Hezbollah. Yet, its commitment to disarmament beyond the south remains uncertain.
Randa Slim, a fellow at the Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute, told The Wall Street Journal, "Unless Hezbollah is willing and ready to disarm itself, I don't see a scenario where a Lebanese government will take the decision to disarm them by force." She proposed tying reconstruction aid for Shia-majority regions to disarmament to increase political pressure on Hezbollah.
Formed during the 1980s civil war and backed by Iran, Hezbollah's arsenal and influence have long eclipsed Lebanon's state institutions, The Wall Street Journal reported. Its significant support within the Shia Muslim community made it a dominant force, wielding one of the world's most powerful nonstate arsenals.
Israel's two-month campaign of intelligence operations, airstrikes, and ground operations decimated Hezbollah's leadership and weaponry, causing thousands of deaths and billions in damages, The Wall Street Journal noted. This weakened Hezbollah's domestic standing, even among some of its base.
Post-ceasefire, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes targeting Hezbollah assets, including in Beirut, according to Unifil, the U.N. peacekeeping force, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Israeli troops remain in parts of southern Lebanon, adding complexity to the region's security dynamics.
Hezbollah's messaging on disarmament remains unclear as it grapples with the aftermath of Israel's campaign, The Wall Street Journal reported. Parliamentarian Ibrahim Mousawi defended the group's arms, stating, "Hezbollah arms that continue to exist in certain parts are points of strength of Lebanon," citing threats from Israel and Sunni extremists in Syria.
The group's ability to rearm has been hampered by the fall of Bashar Assad, which severed key Iranian arms routes through Syria, and by tightened government controls at Beirut's airport, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Fears of escalating tensions loom if Hezbollah resists disarmament north of the Litani River, The Wall Street Journal noted. Both Hezbollah and government officials aim to avoid civil conflict, a concern rooted in Lebanon's history of sectarian strife.
Given its limited resources and the need to navigate Lebanon's Christian, Sunni, Shia, and Druze communities, the army is unlikely to confront Hezbollah militarily, The Wall Street Journal reported. "We don't want to put the country onto a civil-war track, but believe me, this is not going to affect our commitment to the need to extend and consolidate the authority of the state," Salam affirmed.
