Lebanon reaffirms plan to disarm Hezbollah

The Lebanese army must implement the disarmament program of all militarized structures, including the Shiite Hezbollah movement, by the end of the year, country’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said.

“We are not going to abandon the decision to centralize all weapons in the country in the hands of the state,” Salam said, noting that the path chosen by the government is imperative for Lebanon’s revival.

The country’s prime minister noted that the process of transferring weapons to the army has already begun and will be carried out in stages. The final goal, he said, is to secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from five southern districts of Lebanon.

At the same time, Salam stressed the need to increase both military and financial support for Lebanon’s armed forces to ensure the success of the initiative.