Hezbollah rejects government-backed disarmament plan
By Nathan Morley
In Lebanon, Hezbollah has rejected a government-backed disarmament plan, warning of civil war if forced to lay down arms.
The latest move follows the surrender of weapons by Palestinian factions in Beirut—marking the initial phase of a broader agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun aimed at restoring state authority.
Hezbollah, still reeling from its 2024 war with Israel, views the disarmament initiative as a direct threat to its identity as a resistance force. While Iran has attempted to assert influence, Aoun has firmly rejected external interference, insisting that Lebanon’s sovereignty is non-negotiable.
For decades, UN resolutions have called for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Its military wing is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and several EU member states. The same stipulation was embedded in the US- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the November 2024 clashes between Hezbollah and Israel.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues to spiral. UN-backed food security analysts reported Friday that over half a million people in the enclave are trapped in famine—characterized by widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, famine conditions are expected to spread from Gaza Governorate into Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the coming weeks.
By the end of September, more than 640,000 people are projected to face ‘catastrophic’ levels of food insecurity—classified as IPC Phase 5.
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