Yesterday, the Lebanese cabinet met to discuss the US demands that they impose a disarmament on Hezbollah by November. The exact order to disarm wasn’t agreed to, but they did agree to charge the Lebanese Army with drawing up plans to disarm everyone in the country by year’s end.
Some are taking that as a distinction without a difference, and Hezbollah is one of several groups condemning the plan. Hezbollah slammed the plan to monopolize weapons in the hands of the state as a “grave sin” which only serves Israeli interests and is only being done because the US demands it so.
That’s about the size of it, as Ambassador Tom Barrack set the demands during a recent visit to Lebanon, saying that Israel set the deadline, and said he had no intention of even trying to get Israel to stop attacking Lebanon even if the demands were complied with.
In as much as the Lebanese Army isn’t a particularly powerful force within the country, Hezbollah also suggested they intend to treat the order “as if it does not exist.” They did say they were open to continued dialogue with the government, but only with an eye to end Israeli attacks and to secure the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese soil.
The cabinet meeting Tuesday was unable to reach a consensus on much of anything because the Shi’ite factions walked out over the disarmament. The Amal Movement, one of the major Shi’ite blocs, issued a statement slamming the Army order, and saying the government was rushing to make further concessions to Israel without any focus on getting Israel to comply with the existing ceasefire.
Israel continued its attacks today, with a drone strike against a motorcycle in Touline. The strike wounded the driver, but reportedly killed his small child. The IDF has yet to comment on the strike.
