Hezbollah-Amal bloc expected as Cabinet examines weapons consolidation plan

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Mariella Succar 

The Friday cabinet session in Baabda will proceed as planned, with ministers from the Hezbollah-Amal parliamentary bloc expected to attend. An arrangement that had been worked out appears to have secured the session for now.

The agenda, which initially focused solely on the army’s plan to consolidate weapons, has been expanded to include several routine items to accommodate the demands of the bloc, according to sources.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab conveyed these adjustments to both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to ensure the session is not exclusively devoted to the army plan.

The plan itself will be presented in full, detailing the geographic phases and the army’s financial, military, logistical, and technical needs. No decisions will be made regarding the timing of the disarmament process.

Cabinet ministers will take note of the plan without making any binding decisions at this stage. It was also agreed that the cabinet will issue a statement reaffirming that the monopoly of weapons remains exclusively with the state.

The session will simultaneously stress the need for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory and to cease its attacks, assassinations, and violations.

Lebanon’s position links the goals of the U.S. initiative with Lebanon’s objectives: Israeli withdrawal and the cessation of hostilities, following Lebanon’s compliance with the requirements of the November 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement.

Attendance is expected to be full. Sources said the Lebanese Forces, who insist on disarmament, consider the presentation of the plan more important than any immediate approval.

The plan’s implementation remains a military matter, and the cabinet and army are best placed to oversee its execution.