The Lebanese army announced on Thursday that it had "effectively and tangibly" achieved its goal of a state monopoly on weapons in southern Lebanon, a border region with Israel long marked by the presence of non-state armed groups. This declaration comes amid strong international pressure to achieve lasting stability in this sensitive area.
In a statement, the military institution specified that it had extended its operational control over the entire south, with the exception of areas still occupied by Israeli troops. It emphasized, however, that challenges remain, particularly regarding demining and the dismantling of tunnels, legacies of several years of conflict.
The army had set a deadline of the end of the year to neutralize non-state arms networks in the south before extending this policy to other regions of the country. While the statement does not explicitly mention the HezbollahA security source indicated that this announcement meant that no faction would now be able to launch attacks from southern Lebanon.
This development is part of the ceasefire agreement reached in 2024 between Israel and Lebanon, brokered by the United States, which stipulates that only Lebanese state security forces are authorized to carry weapons in the area. The year-long conflict preceding the agreement had significantly weakened the Iranian-backed Hezbollah following intensive Israeli airstrikes.
Since the end of the fighting, Beirut has faced increasing pressure from Washington and Israel to accelerate Hezbollah's disarmament. Lebanese officials fear that Israel will intensify its nationwide strikes to force the state to confiscate the movement's arsenal, in a country already weakened by years of economic and political crisis.
Despite the army's announcement, accusations of ceasefire violations persist between the two sides. The effective consolidation of the Lebanese state's arms monopoly in the south is thus seen as a crucial, but still incomplete, step towards lasting stabilization of the border and the country as a whole.
