Beirut (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun once again called on Hezbollah and other political factions Thursday to disarm, after the militant group’s leader once again refused to demilitarise, while the US intensified calls for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons.
The Lebanese president’s remarks Thursday during an address commemorating Army Day in Lebanon came as pressure grows from the US to demilitarise Hezbollah. Hezbollah, which appeared badly harmed from its fighting with Israel last year, has argued that the group’s disarmament benefits only Israel.
What proposals has President Aoun submitted to the cabinet?
Joseph Aoun, in a televised address at the defence ministry’s office, said,
“It is the duty of all political parties… to seize this historic opportunity without hesitation and push for the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the army and security forces and no one else.”
Aoun stated that America presented Lebanon with “draft ideas to which we have made fundamental amendments that will be presented to the Cabinet early next week.”
According to the Lebanese proposal, there should be an “immediate cessation of Israeli hostilities” in Lebanon, which includes stopping airstrikes and targeted killings, full withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, Aoun stated.
He stated that Lebanon would carry out the
“withdrawal of all armed forces’ weapons, including Hezbollah’s, and their surrender to the Lebanese Army.”
How has the US increased pressure on Lebanon?
The United States has vastly escalated pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. Washington is asking the Lebanese government to make a cabinet decision committing to disarm Hezbollah before any talks resume on stopping Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
Without a commitment from Lebanon, the U.S. has ceased sending its envoy Thomas Barrack to Beirut and has ceased pressuring Israel to stop airstrikes and withdraw troops from southern Lebanon.
What conditions is Hezbollah demanding before disarmament?
Hezbollah officials have been unwavering in their demands that they will not discuss a surrender of their remaining weapons until Israel has vacated all former Lebanese territory and has thus ceased their military strikes.
Hezbollah has publicly rebuffed calls by its domestic and international critics for complete disarmament in the last several months by characterising a call for disarmament as an Israeli goal, rather than an issue of Lebanese sovereignty. In his recent remarks, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, characterised the group’s weapons as a matter of internal Lebanese political discourse, not external pressures of coercion.
As of 2025, there is remarkably high tension between Hezbollah and Israel, with ongoing military activity. Throughout July 2025, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) conducted several operations aimed at Hezbollah throughout southern Lebanon.
