Five Shiite ministers, including five aligned with Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, along with one independent minister, staged a dramatic walkout during a Lebanese cabinet meeting on Friday as the government moved forward with plans to disarm Hezbollah.
The walkout coincided with the arrival of Lebanese Army Chief Gen. Rudolph Haikal, who was set to present the controversial disarmament proposal. This marks the third time Hezbollah and Amal representatives have withdrawn from cabinet talks over the issue, underscoring the deep divisions within the Lebanese political establishment.
Despite the boycott, the cabinet, led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, voted to endorse the plan, effectively greenlighting measures to disarm Hezbollah. Independent Shiite minister Fadi Makki, who also walked out, dismissed the decision as illegitimate, stating that “any vote taken without full cabinet representation is null and void.”
The disarmament initiative, heavily supported by the United States and Israel, aims to neutralize Hezbollah’s armed wing by the end of the year. However, many analysts question the feasibility of the plan, as the Lebanese Army is widely seen as incapable of directly confronting Hezbollah’s well-armed and entrenched forces. Critics warn that the move risks inflaming sectarian tensions and destabilizing the fragile political balance in Beirut.
Friday’s meeting also touched on Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Palestinian factions within its borders. Following a May 21 visit by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese and Palestinian officials agreed to implement a phased disarmament plan across the country’s 12 official refugee camps. While the initiative began in mid-June, reports suggest that only a symbolic number of weapons have been surrendered so far, falling far short of meaningful disarmament.
Under mounting U.S. pressure, President Joseph Aoun and the Salam government have sought to restructure Lebanon’s security landscape. However, Hezbollah’s supporters, along with advocates of Palestinian resistance movements, argue that disarming these factions would embolden Israel to increase its incursions and territorial ambitions in Lebanon.
The dispute highlights the country’s deepening political paralysis and the risk that external pressures, particularly from Washington and Tel Aviv, could further destabilize the already volatile nation.