Lebanon Bans Hezbollah's Military Wing
In a stunning policy reversal, Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has banned all military and security activities by Hezbollah. The move follows a series of rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed group against Israel and appears to be an attempt to prevent the wider conflict from spreading onto Lebanese soil.
This government directive challenges Hezbollah's long-standing role as a state within a state. Founded during the 1975-1990 civil war, the Iran-backed Shia Islamist group evolved into a formidable political and military force, with an armed wing considered more powerful than the Lebanese army. The ban aligns with long-ignored United Nations Security Council resolutions. Both Resolution 1559, passed in 2004, and Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, called for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is a veteran diplomat and former president of the International Court of Justice who took office in February 2025. His appointment was seen as a move toward political reform and a reduction of Hezbollah's influence, which he defeated a candidate backed by. The immediate trigger for the ban was Hezbollah's recent rocket and drone attack on northern Israel, which shattered a ceasefire that had been in place since November 2024. The group claimed the attack was in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah-dominated areas of Beirut and southern Lebanon. Lebanon's government operates under a delicate sectarian power-sharing agreement between its 18 recognized religious sects. Hezbollah holds significant sway in the government and has near-monopoly on political representation for the country's large Shia Muslim population. The decision follows a period where Hezbollah's power was significantly degraded. The 2023-2024 conflict with Israel resulted in the assassination of much of the group's senior leadership, including its long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the destruction of a large portion of its missile arsenal. The cabinet's order authorizes the Lebanese army to enforce a plan restricting all weapons to state control. Prime Minister Salam stated that the "decision of war and peace rests exclusively with the state."
