The U.S. Defense Department has approved a $14.2 million assistance package to support Lebanon’s military in its effort to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia and political force. The funds are to come via a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) package, allowing the Lebanese armed forces to obtain equipment and carry out tasks to strengthen state control over weapons held by non-state actors.
Under the plan endorsed by Lebanon’s Cabinet, the Lebanese army is being tasked with enforcing a state monopoly on weapons “by the end of the year,” including disarming or dismantling arms held outside formal state authority. Provisions of the U.S. package include demolition gear, patrol equipment, and resources for disposal of unexploded ordnance, all aimed at degrading Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
But the initiative has generated strong political resistance domestically. All five Shiite ministers in Lebanon’s Cabinet—most aligned with Hezbollah or its ally, the Amal Movement—walked out of a recent Cabinet meeting in protest. They argue disarmament must be preceded by a national defense strategy guaranteeing state security and protecting Lebanon. Hezbollah itself has reportedly resisted setting a deadline for giving up weapons.
