Two-thirds of Lebanese Shias want Hezbollah disarmed as survey finds openness to peace with Israel

The survey also found that 67.4 percent of respondents believe Hezbollah failed to achieve any or all of its objectives in its war against Israel.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

A new Lebanese opinion poll points to mounting pressure on Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons, even among its traditional Shia base of support, with a clear majority of respondents backing state control of the Iran-backed terrorist group’s arsenal and nearly two-thirds supporting some form of agreement with Israel.

The latest data comes as Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist group that for decades has exerted significant influence across Lebanon, continues to refuse to disarm despite the US, Israeli, and Lebanese governments all demanding disarmament to move forward with a broader ceasefire and potential peace deal.

According to the poll conducted by the Statistics Lebanon Institute, a Lebanese public opinion research organization, among the country’s Shia community, 66.4 percent of respondents support transferring Hezbollah’s weapons to the state, compared with 29.6 percent who believe the Shia terrorist organization and Iran’s chief regional proxy should retain its arsenal.

Among the survey’s key findings, 63.3 percent of respondents expressed support for some form of agreement with Israel, whether through direct negotiations, mediation, or a comprehensive regional deal.

The newly released survey, which was conducted nationwide in September among 800 Lebanese citizens of the Shiite community aged 18 and over, also found that 71.1 percent of respondents believe the Lebanese government should have sole authority over matters of war and peace, while just 5.9 percent support giving Hezbollah’s leadership a greater role in the country’s future.

Even more striking, 78.5 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the Lebanese Army, with 51.1 percent identifying it as the institution most capable of ensuring long-term security, compared with just 16.5 percent who gave Hezbollah that distinction.

The survey also found that 67.4 percent of respondents believe Hezbollah failed to achieve any or all of its objectives, with the war with Israel exacting a devastating toll, while 42.1 percent expressed disappointment, anger, or concern over the terrorist organization’s leadership and its conduct.

However, criticism of Hezbollah does not mean that the group has lost all public support: 37.1 percent of respondents said they have a great deal of trust in it, while another 22.4 percent expressed some trust, compared with 38.5 percent who reported varying levels of distrust.

Among respondents, 34 percent favor limiting Hezbollah to a political party in the future and 9.4 percent support a political and social role, while 10 percent wanted the group to retain its political and military activities and 10.6 percent wanted to keep its armed wing outside state control.

The results came months after a separate poll, conducted by the research firm Information International and published in May by Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed, similarly found growing support for disarming Hezbollah and increased openness to a peace agreement with Israel.

According to the earlier findings, Lebanese Shia were more resistant to such steps, indicating a potential shift among the portion of the population that historically has made up the core of Hezbollah’s domestic support.

Earlier this year, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-backed ceasefire framework to disarm Hezbollah, gradually withdraw Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and deploy the Lebanese Armed Forces in their place, starting in designated pilot areas as part of broader efforts to restore state authority and stabilize the border.

However, implementation has largely stalled, with Israel maintaining troops in a security zone extending roughly 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon to protect its northern communities, prevent further terrorist attacks, and dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure in the area.

Hezbollah, like the Iranian regime, openly seeks Israel’s destruction.

The internationally designated terrorist group began attacking Israel in early March, days after the joint US-Israeli military campaign began against Iran.

Israel and Lebanon do not have formal diplomatic relations and have technically remained in a state of war since 1948, despite recently engaging in US-brokered talks.

However, the current Lebanese government has formally declared Hezbollah’s military operations illegal and indicated a willingness to make peace with the Jewish state.

Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that the Lebanese government has failed to fulfill its commitments under the framework to disarm Hezbollah, raising the possibility of a renewed large-scale military campaign against the terrorist group that could extend into additional areas.

Multiple media reports have suggested that Israel could even impose an air, land, and sea blockade on Lebanon as tensions mount over Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm and the group’s potential involvement in an escalating regional conflict.

Several rounds of negotiations have yet to yield tangible progress, with discussions reportedly including the possible deployment of military personnel from Italy, Switzerland, and Jordan to help oversee the removal of Hezbollah’s weapons

The Iranian proxy has accused Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam of betraying the “resistance” and collaborating with Israel amid ongoing direct bilateral negotiations, branding them “traitors” aligned with foreign interests.

Last week, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) beyond its scheduled expiration at the end of the year, warning that southern Lebanon could face a security vacuum if no alternative international arrangement is ready in time.

Critics have lambasted UNIFIL for allowing Hezbollah to build up its weapons arsenal and wield significant political and military influence across Lebanon with little pushback. Israeli officials have long reported on Hezbollah fighters using UN peacekeepers as “human shields,” placing weapons and other assets near UN sites.