Lebanon Bans Hezbollah's Military Operations
In a rare and significant move, Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has formally banned all military and security operations by Hezbollah within the country. The decision came just hours after Israeli retaliatory strikes against the Iran-backed group, signaling immense regional pressure to prevent the conflict from spreading further.
The Prime Minister's announcement follows a dramatic escalation in hostilities. Hezbollah initiated rocket and drone attacks against Israel, citing retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut, as well as targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, resulting in at least 31 deaths. The Israeli military has stated its objective is to "degrade the capabilities of the group" and has vowed to strike "all terrorist leaders and factions" across the Middle East. In the recent strikes, Israel claims to have killed Hussein Moukalled, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence. The Israeli military also announced the deployment of 100,000 reservists along the border with Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a former judge at the International Court of Justice, took office in February 2025, ending a two-year governmental vacuum. His government has been focused on asserting state sovereignty and has previously tasked the army with consolidating all weapons under state control, a move aimed at Hezbollah. Salam comes from a prominent Sunni political family and was a key figure in the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which implicated Hezbollah in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. This ban is the latest in a series of efforts to disarm the powerful Shia group. The 1989 Taif Agreement, which ended Lebanon's civil war, called for the disbanding of all militias, but Hezbollah was allowed to keep its arms to fight the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon. UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, also mandated the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. The government's move comes at a time of profound economic crisis in Lebanon. The country's GDP has plummeted from $55 billion in 2018 to under $31 billion, and the national budget has been slashed from nearly $17 billion to around $6 billion in the same period. The Lebanese pound has lost over 98% of its value, and a significant portion of the population lives below the poverty line, with the situation exacerbated by recent flooding and poor harvests. The decision to ban Hezbollah's military operations is a significant gamble for Prime Minister Salam's government, given Hezbollah's deep integration into the Lebanese political system and its powerful military wing, which is considered by some to be stronger than the national army. The success of this ban will largely depend on the Lebanese Armed Forces' ability and willingness to enforce it, and the reaction of Hezbollah and its supporters. This move also has significant international dimensions. The United States has linked future security assistance to "measurable disarmament progress." Meanwhile, the UN's peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, which has been in southern Lebanon since 1978, is set to end its mandate in December 2026, raising concerns about a potential security vacuum. Hezbollah has previously rejected any attempts to force its disarmament, viewing its weapons as essential for defending Lebanon against Israel. The group and its allies in the "March 8 Alliance" hold significant power in Lebanon's sectarian political system. The coming days will be critical in determining whether this ban will be a turning point for Lebanese sovereignty or the trigger for a deeper internal conflict.
