Hezbollah refuses Lebanese gov’t order to give up arms

The terror group declared the move “part of a strategy of surrender” that it would not follow.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Hezbollah announced Wednesday that it would defy the government’s decision of the previous day requiring the Iranian proxy to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese army and other state institutions by the end of 2025.

The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam “has committed a grave sin that strips Lebanon of weapons to resist the Israeli enemy,” the terrorist group said in a statement.

It accused the government of bowing to “the diktats of U.S. envoy [Tom] Barrack” and serving Israel’s interests instead of Lebanon’s.

“The decision gives Israel as a gift what it failed to achieve on the battlefield,” it added, calling the move “part of a strategy of surrender.”

“The decision harms Lebanese sovereignty, and therefore we have decided to ignore it,” the group declared.

Tehran backed its proxy Thursday with a statement from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“The plan to disarm Hezbollah will fail,” he said, claiming that the group had “rebuilt and could defend itself. The next steps that Hezbollah will take are up to its decision. We support it.”

Hezbollah’s political arm is part of the government. When it became clear that the vote would go against the terrorist organization, four Shiite ministers affiliated with the group or its allies resigned and walked out.

This marks the first time Beirut has openly opposed Hezbollah, which has operated as a state within a state for decades in southern Lebanon, backed by Iran.

Whether Beirut desired it or not, Hezbollah launched thousands of missiles and UAVs at Israel to support Hamas following its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, sparking war — prompting IAF strikes on Hezbollah targets, including in Beirut.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi pushed back at the Hezbollah rejection, posting to X that “The government’s momentous decision to place all weapons exclusively under state authority by the end of the year was, above all, a response to the aspirations of the Lebanese people.”

“To them, and to the Arab and international communities, our message is clear: This decision is final and resolute; there is no turning back,” he concluded.

Hezbollah has lost much of its influence since the IDF assassinated much of its command, killed and wounded over 14,000 of its men, and destroyed key infrastructure, weapons and missile arrays during a sustained ground and air invasion late last year.

Israel has continued to bomb Hezbollah sites even after a cease-fire was declared, citing the terror group’s efforts to rebuild and rearm as a violation of the tenuous accord.

In a rare move, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) also attacked Hezbollah members Wednesday.

Local sources said the LAF killed three drug and weapons dealers affiliated with Hezbollah in the eastern Baalbek region, using UAVs to strike a vehicle and a nearby building.