Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, aiming to meet a key ceasefire requirement with Israel before year-end.
The US-backed ceasefire, agreed in November 2024, ended over a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, requiring the Iran-aligned group to disarm, starting in areas adjacent to Israel south of the river.
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Lebanese authorities, led by President Joseph Aoun and Salam, tasked the army in August to prepare a plan for establishing a state monopoly on arms by the end of 2025.
Salam’s office stated that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan in southern Litani is only days away from completion, with the government ready to begin confiscations north of the river next.
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Hezbollah has resisted disarmament pressures from Lebanon’s mainly Christian and Sunni factions, as well as from the US and Saudi Arabia, arguing it would be unwise while Israel continues air strikes.
Israel has urged Lebanon to enforce the truce conditions, warning that it will act “as necessary” if Hezbollah is not disarmed, while tensions persist with accusations of violations from both sides.