Lebanon plans to disarm Hezbollah by year end

BEIRUT

Lebanon's cabinet has tasked the army with developing a plan to disarm Hezbollah by year end, an unprecedented step since civil war factions gave up their weapons decades ago.

The thorny decision follows heavy U.S. pressure and comes as part of implementing a ceasefire last year that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and militant group Hezbollah including two months of all-out war.

The cabinet held a nearly six-hour cabinet session on Aug. 5 headed by President Joseph Aoun on disarming the group, which emerged badly weakened from the latest war, with its arsenal pummel and its senior leadership decimated.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government "tasked the Lebanese army with setting an implementation plan to restrict weapons" to the army and other state forces "before the end of this year.”

The plan is to be presented to the cabinet by the end of August for discussion and approval, Salam told a press conference after the marathon session.

Under the ceasefire, government authorities including the army and internal security forces should be the exclusive bearers of weapons in Lebanon.

The cabinet is to continue discussions this week on a proposal from US envoy Tom Barrack that includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament.

The group's chief Naim Qassem, in a televised address while the cabinet meeting was underway, said it would not disarm while Israeli attacks continue.

"Any timetable presented for implementation under... Israeli aggression cannot be agreed to," he said.