Lebanon Bans Hezbollah Military Activity
In a stunning move, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has issued a ban on all military and security activities by Hezbollah. The decision follows rocket and drone attacks by the Iran-backed group against Israel and is a clear attempt to prevent Lebanon from being dragged into the wider regional conflict.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, a former judge at the International Court of Justice, has consistently stated his goal is to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. That resolution, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and for the Lebanese state to have sole authority over security matters. The decision places the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), commanded by General Rodolphe Haykal, in a difficult position. While the LAF is a respected national institution, Hezbollah's military wing is widely considered to be more powerful and heavily armed than the state's army. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has claimed the group has 100,000 trained fighters. This ban directly challenges Hezbollah's long-standing role as a "state within a state." The organization is not just a militia but also a significant political party with ministers in the Lebanese government, complicating any state-led effort to enforce the ban. The move follows a period of significant military degradation for Hezbollah due to conflict with Israel and the fall of its key ally, the Assad regime in Syria, leaving the group in a weakened position. Prime Minister Salam has previously indicated that disarmament should be achieved through negotiation to avoid civil war, framing it as a goal rather than a starting point. The government's ability to enforce this ban is uncertain and carries the risk of significant internal strife. Hezbollah has previously responded with violence to government decisions that threatened its interests and has warned that attempts to disarm it could lead to civil war. Prime Minister Salam's government, formed in February 2025, came to power after a two-year presidential vacuum ended with the election of former army chief Joseph Aoun as president. The government has focused on reforms and asserting state sovereignty, with Salam vowing that the state must have exclusive authority over weapons and security matters.
