Lebanon Says It Will Place All Weapons Under State Control

(MENAFN) On Sunday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that the government plans to bring all weapons under state authority, although he stressed the importance of waiting for the "right conditions" to effectively implement this initiative.

"The Lebanese people do not want war, and therefore the armed forces are the only body responsible for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence,” Aoun remarked after a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rai.

Aoun reassured that the state would tackle the issue of Hezbollah's arms "with vision and responsibility," stating, “This is essential to preserving civil peace, and I will take responsibility for it in cooperation with the government.”

"We will place the weapons under state control, but we are waiting for the right conditions to determine how this will be done,” he added.

Hezbollah has not yet commented on Aoun’s statements.

Earlier, Aoun had expressed in an interview his commitment to moving towards the disarmament of all weapons by 2025. He also proposed that members of Hezbollah could integrate into the Lebanese army and participate in "integration training."

The UN Security Council's Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, called for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon following conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel. This resolution established a buffer zone in southern Lebanon and urged the implementation of the Taif Agreement along with other international mandates.

Since the ceasefire agreement in November, which concluded over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, international pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah has intensified.

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