From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan and Lebanese government’s four-month timeline
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Hezbollah rejects the Lebanese government’s decision to grant the country’s army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, with the Iran-backed terror group saying it would not accept what it sees as a move serving Israel.
Lebanon’s cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up and beginning to implement a plan to bring all armed groups’ weapons under state control, a bid aimed primarily at disarming Hezbollah after its war with Israel from 2023 to 2024.
In September 2025, the cabinet formally welcomed the army’s plan to disarm the terror group, although it did not set a clear timeframe and cautioned that the military’s limited capabilities and ongoing Israeli strikes could hinder progress.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a speech yesterday that “what the Lebanese government is doing by focusing on disarmament is a major mistake because this issue serves the goals of Israeli aggression.”
Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos said during a press conference late yesterday after a cabinet meeting that the government had taken note of the army’s monthly report on its arms control plan that includes restricting weapons in areas north of the Litani River up to the Awali River in Sidon, and granted it four months.
“The required time frame is four months, renewable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and field obstacles,” he said.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah says, “we cannot be lenient,” signaling the group’s rejection of the timeline and the broader approach to the issue of its weapons.
Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament effort as a misstep while Israel continues to strike its operatives, and Shi’ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session in protest.
Israel has said Hezbollah’s disarmament is a security priority, arguing that the group’s weapons outside Lebanese state control pose a direct threat to its security.
Israeli officials say any disarmament plan must be fully and effectively implemented, especially in areas close to the border, and that continued Hezbollah military activity constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.
Israel has also said it will continue what it describes as action to prevent Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild and rearm.
The Times of Israel Community.