Lebanon Bans Hezbollah's Military Activities

Hezbollah has operated as a "state within a state" for decades, maintaining a military force considered more powerful than the Lebanese army itself. The group was the only militia allowed to keep its arms after the 1975-1990 civil war, ostensibly to fight Israeli forces in the south. The ban aligns with long-standing international demands, particularly UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, explicitly called for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and for the Lebanese state to have sole authority over weapons. Iran has been Hezbollah's primary benefactor, providing financial, military, and political support since the group's founding in the 1980s. Estimates of Iranian financial aid range from $700 million to $1 billion annually, funding an arsenal believed to include over 100,000 rockets. The current crisis escalated dramatically after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel, declaring it retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with intense airstrikes on Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, killing at least 31 people. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a former president of the International Court of Justice, took office in February 2025 on a platform of reform. He has consistently stated his goal is to implement UN resolutions and restore the state's exclusive authority over security matters. Enforcing the ban presents a monumental challenge due to Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing government. Hezbollah and its political allies, like the Amal Movement, hold significant cabinet positions and parliamentary seats, giving them substantial power to resist the directive from within the state itself.