Overview

• On August 5, Lebanon’s cabinet mandated the army to draft by August 31 a plan to disarm Hezbollah by year-end under the US-mediated ceasefire limiting weapons to six security bodies.
• Hezbollah condemned the decision as a “grave sin,” pledging to act as if it does not exist and demanding Israeli withdrawal from occupied positions before any disarmament dialogue.
• Ministers aligned with Hezbollah and the Amal movement, Tamara Zein and Rakan Nasreddine, walked out of the cabinet meeting in protest, revealing deep fractures in the governing coalition.
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot praised the move as a step toward full state sovereignty, while Israel has warned it will resume strikes until Hezbollah’s arsenal is dismantled.
• Analysts warn the standoff could stall the ceasefire’s implementation and risk a return to cross-border violence if disarmament terms are not met.