AhlulBayt News Agency: Thousands of supporters of Hezbollah and Lebanese resistance factions staged massive nighttime demonstrations across Beirut, voicing strong opposition to a cabinet-backed proposal—supported by the United States and Israel—that calls for the disarmament of non-state actors, specifically targeting Hezbollah.
The protests, which swept through the capital’s southern suburbs including Dahieh, featured motorcycle rallies, car caravans, and large crowds chanting slogans defending Lebanon’s sovereignty and the resistance’s right to self-defense.
The controversial proposal, introduced by U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barak and approved during a cabinet session boycotted by Shiite ministers, demands that only the Lebanese state retain the right to bear arms. According to previously disclosed American documents, Hezbollah’s disarmament has been positioned as a prerequisite for foreign financial aid, national reconstruction, and the release of Lebanese prisoners—raising concerns that Lebanon’s survival is being used as leverage to impose foreign demands.
Information Minister Paul Markov confirmed the cabinet’s approval of the Lebanese army’s plan to establish a state monopoly on weapons, with a detailed implementation strategy expected by the end of August.
Hezbollah condemned the proposal, calling it a violation of Lebanon’s right to defend itself against Israeli aggression and warning that it was passed under foreign pressure without national consensus. The group maintains that its arsenal is a vital deterrent and that forced disarmament could lead to serious internal conflict.
Protesters echoed these concerns, accusing Washington and Tel Aviv of interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs and attempting to weaken the country’s defense capabilities. Many described the disarmament plan as a betrayal of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a threat to its stability.
The demonstrations come amid heightened regional tensions and growing fears that any attempt to forcibly disarm Hezbollah could destabilize the fragile political balance in Lebanon.
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