Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement last November to end months of bloodshed during the Israeli war on Lebanese territory. However, the ceasefire did not end the conflict in the south, as Israel insisted on five points it said were necessary to protect settlements in northern Israel, claiming Hezbollah still holds weapons caches in southern Lebanon, posing a threat to its national security.

In response, the Lebanese state called for the surrender of illegal weapons to the Lebanese army in Palestinian camps and Hezbollah. The government approved a decision on August 5 to disarm outside the state and in September endorsed the army’s executive plan to inventory weapons.

The army began collecting weapons in the camps of Burj al-Barajneh, Al-Baddawi, and Ain al-Hilweh, implementing the Lebanese-Palestinian summit resolutions held on May 21 between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which affirmed Lebanon’s sovereignty over its entire territory and the principle of exclusive arms control.

Hezbollah, supported by Iran, remained adamant about keeping its weapons, citing support for Gaza and defense of Lebanon’s security. With the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire, questions arose about the impact on southern Lebanon and the ongoing Israeli fire from occupation forces.

Lebanese military expert Brigadier General George Nader stated that the Gaza agreement will have positive repercussions in Lebanon, as Hezbollah will feel isolated without battles to engage in and may submit to negotiations to hand over weapons to the Lebanese army—a decision announced in August but not yet accepted by Hezbollah. With Hamas negotiating with Israel to stem the bloodshed, Hezbollah will be compelled to follow suit. Israel’s condition for stopping bombardment in southern Lebanon is the disarmament of Hezbollah; if Hezbollah surrenders its weapons, Israeli justifications for presence in five southern Lebanese areas will be nullified.

Brig. Gen. George emphasized that the Lebanese state will lead the upcoming phase, with weapons exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese army, as it should be. Some Palestinian camps have started handing over weapons, indicating progress in the state’s plan.

Hamas’s acceptance of the Gaza ceasefire plan will positively affect the region and Lebanon. If Hamas’s central decision relinquishes weapons in Gaza—the main conflict zone—there will be no need for weapons in other areas, especially Lebanon. Hamas’s participation in the agreement will reflect flexibility and cooperation with the Lebanese army and government regarding Palestinian arms in camps.

He stressed that Lebanon can no longer bear more bloodshed and must begin rebuilding what the fierce war destroyed. Those who love Lebanon seek to establish peace on its soil.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed the necessity of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories still occupied, considering that failure to do so hinders the arms inventory plan. He called on the European Union to pressure Israel to withdraw and return Lebanese prisoners to ensure stability and implement the arms control plan.

The Lebanese army is conducting weapons handover operations in Ain al-Hilweh and Al-Baddawi camps, following the Cabinet’s August decision to centralize arms with the army. The Palestine Liberation Organization was the first to take this step in Ain al-Hilweh, followed by other factions.

The handover began in August in Rashidieh, Al-Bass, and Burj al-Shamali camps in southern Lebanon’s Tyre city, with seven trucks loaded with light weapons and B7 rockets delivered to the army’s Second Intervention Regiment barracks in Shwakir, according to Lebanon’s official media agency. Trucks are also collecting rocket shells and heavy machine guns. This “first step” includes old weapons and notable rocket types such as Faraqi, Shamel, and Grad, as well as machine guns and RPGs. These weapons, numbering in the dozens, were held by Fatah only, while other armed groups or Palestinian factions in other areas have yet to start handing over weapons, though efforts continue.

Colonel Abdul Hadi Al-Asadi, Public Relations and Media Officer of the Palestinian National Security Forces, confirmed the completion of weapons handover from Ain al-Hilweh and Al-Baddawi camps to the army today, noting the process was smooth and calm, contrary to attempts by some parties to disrupt it. He said this follows President Mahmoud Abbas’s presidential decisions and fulfills promises to the Lebanese state to address the arms issue in camps, with plans to grant Palestinians in Lebanon work, property, and humanitarian and social rights until their return.

In September, Hezbollah renewed its refusal to disarm. Qassem, on the anniversary of Hassan Nasrallah’s death in an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah headquarters in southern Beirut, said, “We reject disarmament and will engage in a Karbala-like confrontation.” He considered the government’s disarmament decision a “sin,” vowing to confront any project serving Israel, even if disguised as patriotic. He warned the government that “the ship will sink with everyone,” affirming Israel as the region’s central threat.

Hezbollah faces pressure to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state. The government frames its decision as fulfilling commitments in the US-mediated ceasefire agreement that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel on November 27 last year after nearly a year of bloody confrontation. The agreement stipulates that weapon possession is limited to official Lebanese security and military agencies.

Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army continues strikes on what it calls Hezbollah’s “military targets,” especially in the south, stating it will not stop attacks unless Hezbollah’s weapons are disarmed by authorities.