Hezbollah Reups Its Refusal To Disarm in Lebanon

Latest Developments

Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm: The Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization will not disarm even if the IDF were to withdraw completely from southern Lebanon, the Saudi media outlet al-Hadath reported on July 23. The group reportedly told Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose party is aligned with the Iran-backed terrorist group, that it would not surrender its weapons, even if it causes the fragile ceasefire with Israel to collapse.
Qassem Asserts U.S. Imposing Disarmament on Group: Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the notion of giving up the group’s weapons last week, claiming that the United States is trying to impose a deal on the organization and that the first step in the agreement would be the group’s complete disarmament.
Israel Continues Airstrikes in Lebanon: The Israeli Air Force eliminated Ahmad Mohammad Salah on July 19 with a targeted strike in the Lebanese town of Yohmor. The same day, a separate IDF airstrike killed a member of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force in the southern town of Khiam. The strikes came days after Israel bombed several facilities belonging to the Radwan Force in the Beqaa region to prevent the force’s “reconstitution,” according to the IDF. Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that the Israeli strikes sent a “clear message to both Hezbollah” and the Lebanese government of Israel’s determination to “respond with maximum force” to “thwart any threat.”

FDD Expert Response

“Hezbollah has consistently refused to disarm since the November 2024 ceasefire. The group even intends its talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to result in Lebanon’s ‘preserving all the components of its strength,’ which conveniently include its massive private arsenal. If Hezbollah is ever to be disarmed, it will take a combination of Lebanese determination against the group’s rejectionism, continued Israeli military action to degrade Hezbollah’s presence in Lebanon, and American diplomatic pressure to ensure that Lebanon remains committed to Aoun’s inaugural statement and the government’s policy statement that the state will have an absolute monopoly over arms.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“Although Hezbollah ministers in the previous Lebanese cabinet agreed to a cessation of hostilities with Israel in November, no Hezbollah leader has ever indicated that the organization would disarm. It remains unclear what the Lebanese government, which is committed to Hezbollah’s disarmament, will do about a militia openly defying its authority.” — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Research Fellow