Lebanon is attempting to tackle its latest crisis after the government decided last week on limiting possession of weapons in the country to the state, putting it at odds with Hezbollah that is refusing to disarm despite local and international pressure.
Efforts are underway to contain the crisis ahead of US envoy Thomas Barrack’s visit to the country later this month.
The government last week approved Barrack’s proposal to tackle Hezbollah's weapons arsenal and tasked the army with coming up with a disarmament plan.
President Joseph Aoun has been insisting on American guarantees that obligate Israel to fulfill its part of Barrack’s proposal which is related to its withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories.
Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Aoun’s position is “clear and decisive” over the issue of the state’s monopoly over arms, as well as obligating Israel to fulfill its commitments.
Lebanon has demanded that Israel withdraw from occupied areas, cease its violations of Lebanese sovereignty and release detainees. It also wants people displaced from last year’s war between Israel and Hezbollah to be allowed to return to their homes, as well as the launch of reconstruction of regions destroyed in the conflict.
Meeting these demands will reassure Shiite ministers who withdrew from last week’s government meeting in protest against the decision to limit the possession of arms to the state.
The government is scheduled to meet again next week. Until then, efforts are underway to address the fallout from its disarmament decision.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the Shiite ministers will attend next week’s meeting, which will tackle services issues.
Meanwhile, Aoun is following up on the army’s efforts to come up with an executive plan on how to limit the possession of weapons to the state. Sources said the army has until the end of the month to come up with one.
Aoun, a former army commander, visited the Defense Ministry on Monday to offer his condolences over the death of six soldiers who were killed while dismantling munitions in an arms depot in southern Lebanon on Saturday.
The incident occurred on the edge of the southern village of Zibqin in Tyre province, the army said. It added that efforts were being made to determine the cause of the blast but gave no further details. The depot is believed to have been used by Hezbollah.
On Monday, Aoun met with Defense Minister Michel Menassa and Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal to discuss the government’s decision last week.
Meanwhile in a notable development on Sunday, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, one of the Shiite ministers, voiced his support for the government decision, saying: “Our priority lies in building the state and strengthening all of its institutions, starting with the army and all military forces.”
“They alone must have monopoly over arms, as declared in the government’s policy statement,” he stressed.
“Will the others allow us to build the state that we are aspiring to? Will Israel cease its violations? Are there guarantees that it will stop its attacks and commit to withdrawing to the borders so that the army can impose its authority?” he asked.
On the other side of the divide, Hezbollah has vehemently rejected the government’s decision. In its latest attack on the government, MP Ihab Hamadeh accused it of violating “national norms”.
“The people will rise up against the government and topple it. It won’t even last until next year’s parliamentary elections,” he added.
“We vow to the loyal supporters that the resistance [Hezbollah] will not hand over a single bullet of its arsenal,” he declared.
