Lebanon would have completed the first phase of the army’s plan to impose state monopoly over arms, or the disarmament of Hezbollah, by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office confirmed on Saturday that the first phase was close to completion.
“The first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion,” it said.
“The state is ready to move on to the second phase - namely (confiscating weapons) north of the Litani River - based on the plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government,” Salam added.
The cabinet will meet at the beginning of the new year after the first phase is completed.
Salam, meanwhile, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the second phase of the disarmament will cover the areas between the Litani and Awali Rivers to its north.
The third phase will cover Beirut and Mount Lebanon and the fourth covers the Bekaa followed by remaining regions.
Lebanese sources said the army has completed most of its report on its disarmament efforts south of the Litani. It has completed the confiscation and destruction of thousands of tons of ammunition and military gear. It has discovered around a hundred military tunnels in the region.
As it stands, the army is unlikely to ask for an extension of the deadline to complete the first phase by the end of the year. It may ask for a “technical” extension for a few weeks if necessary.
Salam refused to go into the details of the government’s next step after it receives the army’s detailed report on the disarmament south of the Litani.
“The military has succeeded in imposing complete state authority over the regions from south of the Litani to the southern border, except for the areas occupied by Israel and from where it should withdraw without delay,” the PM told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He confirmed that the government will convene at the beginning of the year to assess the first phase of the disarmament, stressing that Israel must take reciprocal steps, such as ceasing its violations of the ceasefire.
This will not prevent Lebanon from moving on to the second phase of implementing state monopoly over arms, he revealed.
Progress hinges of Hezbollah’s cooperation with Lebanon’s efforts to limit possession of weapons to the state and move towards activating state institutions in the South and kick off the reconstruction process with the help of Lebanon’s friends, he added.
“Imposing state monopoly over weapons is a Lebanese need before it is an international one,” he declared.
Everyone should be concerned with facilitating the process to end the cycle of violence, he urged.
Salam met on Saturday with Simon Karam, Lebanon's top civilian negotiator on the Mechanism committee overseeing the Hezbollah-Israel truce.
Karam briefed Salam on the latest meeting of the Mechanism.
Hezbollah continues to resist calls to disarm, saying the ceasefire with Israel does not cover areas north of the Litani. Party officials continue to tie disarmament to Israel’s withdrawal from regions it occupies in the South.
