Lebanon (Washington Insider) – Lebanon is close to
completing Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River, per a U.S.-backed
ceasefire. PM Nawaf Salam and Simon Karam oversee efforts amid Israeli concerns
and civilian returns.
As Jazeera News reported, Lebanon is nearing the completion
of the 1st phase of disarming Hezbollah in the south of the Litani River. This
move is part of a U.S.-backed ceasefire deal with Israel that was signed in
November 2024. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the Lebanese army has been
carrying out a detailed plan to take control of weapons in the border region.
Hezbollah has maintained a strong military presence in the
area for many years. The army operation involves confiscating, securing, and
neutralising weapons held by the Iran-aligned group. Officials called it a
historic step to bring non-state armed groups under government control.
What is Lebanon’s progress on Hezbollah’s 1st phase of
disarmament?
Officials mentioned that despite progress, challenges
remain. Hezbollah has said it needs weapons to defend Lebanon against Israel.
Israel has expressed concern and doubts about the army’s ability to fully
control Hezbollah’s military power. Lebanon also faces political pressures at
home, needing to balance sectarian issues and Hezbollah’s influence with
expectations from the U.S., the EU, and the UN.
“Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase
of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River
is only days away from completion,”
a statement from his office said.
“The state is ready to move on to the second phase –
namely [confiscating weapons] north of the Litani River – based on the plan
prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government,”
Salam added.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with Simon Karam,
the country’s top civilian negotiator on the committee that oversees the
Hezbollah-Israel truce. The meeting on Friday, Dec 19, 2025, focused on
returning displaced residents to their homes and addressing civilian needs in
southern Lebanon.
The meeting in the southern coastal town of Naqoura brought
civilian representatives together to discuss steps to help residents uprooted
by the 2023–24 war safely return and to advance economic reconstruction in
affected areas, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said.
Tensions remain high along the border despite these efforts.
Since the ceasefire, Israeli warplanes have repeatedly targeted parts of
Lebanon, mostly in the south but sometimes near the capital. Israel has raised
doubts about the Lebanese army’s ability to fully disarm Hezbollah.
The Shia Muslim faction has opposed this urging from
Lebanon’s predominantly Christian and Sunni political Challenges and other
global stakeholders, including the US and Riyadh, that they should disarm,
noting Israel continues to launch air attacks on surrounding areas.
Israel stated it expects that the Lebanese government will
comply with the terms laid out in their ceasefire agreement and will take
“necessary” measures against Hizballah should Lebanon fail to
undertake substantive actions against Hizballah.
