Hezbollah supporters
Lebanon army agrees to document Hezbollah disarmament progress
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Lebanon’s army chief has agreed to formally document progress in disarming Hezbollah during talks held Thursday in Paris with international envoys, the French foreign ministry said, as Beirut works to avert further 'Israeli' escalation.
The discussions come after more than a year of clashes between 'Israel' and Hezbollah following the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023. A ceasefire reached in November 2024 was intended to halt the fighting, but 'Israel' has continued strikes, accusing Hezbollah of rearming.
- Ceasefire plan under scrutiny -
Facing diplomatic pressure from Washington and growing fears of renewed escalation, Lebanon approved a plan for its army to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, around 30 kilometers from the 'Israeli' border, by the end of the year. 'Israel' has repeatedly questioned the Lebanese military’s capacity to enforce the plan, while Hezbollah has rejected demands to hand over its weapons.
French foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said Thursday’s meetings showed “progress in implementing the plan to restore the Lebanese state’s monopoly on weapons.”
Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal outlined the “specific needs of the Lebanese Armed Forces” required to continue the process, Confavreux added.
- Documentation and international backing -
Officials agreed on the need to “seriously document these advances,” Confavreux said, noting that work is underway “within the framework of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism.”
“There is indeed this December 31 deadline. Our job is to support Lebanese efforts to meet it,” he added. “And if it needs to be extended, partners will discuss it.”
According to sources familiar with the talks, they were chaired by French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian and attended by US envoy Morgan Ortagus and Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan. The mechanism allows the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon to support documentation on the ground, including dismantling weapons caches and tunnel networks. French contingents are also expected to take part.
The Elysee said participants agreed to form a joint task force to organize a conference in early 2026 aimed at supporting the Lebanese army.
