UPDATE - Hezbollah calls Lebanon’s government decision to disarm non-state groups ‘grave sin’

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Lebanese group Hezbollah on Wednesday denounced a government decision to disarm non-state groups as a “grave sin.”

“The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has committed a grave sin by adopting a decision that strips Lebanon of its weapon of resistance against the Israeli enemy,” the group said in a statement.

Salam said Tuesday that his government has authorized the army to prepare a plan to consolidate weapons under state control by the end of this year.

Hezbollah said that the decision “undermines Lebanon’s ability” to confront the ongoing Israeli-US assaults and allows Israel to achieve its objectives in Lebanon after it had failed to achieve its plans via military operations.

“Therefore, we will treat this decision as if it does not exist,” the group said.

Hezbollah said the government decision was the result of “dictates of the US Envoy Tom Barrack,” who has previously presented a roadmap for the Lebanese government to disarm the group.

Hezbollah said it is open to dialogue to “discuss a national security strategy,” end Israeli assaults, release prisoners, and reconstruct the war-ravaged areas, “but not under aggression.”

“The agreement must first be implemented by the Israeli side,” Hezbollah stressed. “The government’s priority must be the liberation of all Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation, as stated in its ministerial declaration.”

Israel launched military operations in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target activities of the Hezbollah group.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.