Lebanese Cabinet Continues Talks on Disarming Hezbollah Amid U.S. Pressure

Beirut, August 10, 2025 – Lebanon’s cabinet convened again on Thursday at the presidential palace in Baabda, led by President Joseph Aoun, to discuss the contentious issue of disarming Hezbollah, following persistent pressure from the United States. The meeting came days after the cabinet announced plans to restrict arms to six official state forces by the end of 2025, a move that has sparked strong opposition from Hezbollah and its allies.

The discussions centered on a U.S.-backed proposal, presented by envoy Tom Barrack, which outlines a phased plan to disarm Hezbollah and stabilize a November 2024 ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. The proposal requires the Lebanese government to dismantle Hezbollah’s arsenal through a detailed Lebanese army deployment plan, while also calling for Israel to cease attacks and withdraw from five positions it continues to hold in southern Lebanon, in violation of the truce.

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc criticized the government, accusing it of “slipping into accepting American demands” that serve Israel’s interests. In protest, Hezbollah ministers and their Shia allies, including those from the Amal movement, walked out of Thursday’s cabinet meeting, according to three Lebanese political sources cited by Reuters. Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament plan, with the group’s leadership declaring on Wednesday that it would treat the government’s decision “as if it did not exist,” labeling it a “grave sin.”

The U.S. proposal aims to extend and stabilize the ceasefire, which was intended to end over a year of hostilities, including two months of full-scale war in 2024. Under the truce, Israel was required to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah was to reposition its fighters north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, with the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces taking over. However, Israel has continued near-daily airstrikes, with two people killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday and five killed with ten injured in a drone strike on Thursday, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, have threatened to escalate their response, potentially withdrawing their four ministers from the government or initiating a no-confidence vote through their 27-member Shia parliamentary bloc, as reported by the pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al Akhbar. The cabinet’s push to disarm Hezbollah marks a significant challenge to the group, which has maintained its arsenal since the end of Lebanon’s civil war over three decades ago, unlike other factions that surrendered their weapons. The decision reflects growing U.S. pressure, with envoy Barrack emphasizing that Lebanon’s sovereignty depends on restricting arms to state control. However, Hezbollah maintains its right to resist Israel under the UN Charter, arguing that disarmament discussions are premature while Israeli violations of the ceasefire persist.

As tensions rise, the Lebanese government faces a delicate balancing act between international demands and domestic political dynamics, with fears of renewed Israeli military escalation if Hezbollah’s disarmament falters.