Lebanon says 80% of weapons in south under state control

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Lebanese government has managed to bring 80% of weapons in southern Lebanon under its control, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said.

“All over the Lebanese territory, the state should have a monopoly on arms,” Salam said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

He said his government has achieved 80% of its disarmament goal in the country’s south.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has earlier vowed to place all weapons under state control in 2025.

International pressure has been increasing on Lebanon to disarm the Hezbollah group since the November ceasefire agreement that ended more than a year of cross-border clashes with Israel.

Aoun said on Monday that joint Lebanese-Palestinian committees have been formed to address the issue of Palestinian weapons in Lebanon’s refugee camps.

Despite the ceasefire, Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the agreement, including the deaths of over 200 victims and injuries to at least 500 others since last November.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.