October 23, 2026
The issue of weapons outside the scope of the state and the Israeli presence in southern Lebanon has returned to the forefront of international debate, following the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, in his latest report on the implementation of Resolution 1559, for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese government, in parallel with his call on Israel to completely withdraw from the areas north of the Blue Line, and for the newly confiscated shipment of explosives to enter the line of American and international diplomatic positions.
The members of the UN Security Council discussed the forty-fourth semi-annual report on the implementation of Resolution 1559 of 2004, in conjunction with a new round of technical talks hosted by the headquarters of the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, and bringing together representatives of the Lebanese and Israeli armies within the process of the tripartite framework agreement. In this context, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted an American official – who preferred to remain anonymous – that the talks were held at the expert level and focused on the security dimensions of the tripartite framework.
In his report, Guterres considered that the framework agreement concluded last June represents “an important step towards ending decades of conflict,” explaining that it is based on a mutual and sequential path according to which the Lebanese army regains its effective sovereignty over the entire Lebanese territory, provided that the disarmament of irregular groups is verified and their infrastructure is dismantled, coinciding with a gradual redeployment of the Israeli army outside Lebanese territory. Although he described the deployment of the Lebanese army in some “exemplary areas” as a positive first step, he warned that the continuation of Israeli military operations in the south and Hezbollah’s refusal to lay down weapons keep the risks of renewed confrontations high.
Guterres criticized Israel’s announcement of its intention to maintain a “security zone” up to 10 kilometers deep inside Lebanese territory until Hezbollah and other factions disarm, describing it as a “major obstacle” to the deployment of the Lebanese army. He stressed that the establishment and retention of this zone represents “a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a flagrant violation of international law,” renewing his demand for immediate withdrawal from the north of the Blue Line and an end to violations. He also expressed “deep concern” about Israeli statements calling for the destruction of civilian homes, calling for their categorical rejection.
Regarding the arms file, the Secretary-General stressed that extending the state’s authority requires its exclusive control over weapons based on Resolution 1559 and the Taif Agreement, saying: “I urge Hezbollah to comply with the sovereign decisions of the Lebanese state.” He pointed out that internal divisions regarding the framework agreement and arms possession negotiations have doubled the complexity of the scene, while the existing dispute between Lebanon and Israel over the disarmament sequence and verification mechanisms remains a major obstacle to progress. He called on those with influence over armed groups in Lebanon to support efforts to disarm them and transform them into completely civilian political entities.
In parallel, the issue of the shipment of explosives that was recently seized by the Lebanese security forces was on the discussion table of Security Council members, amid demands for the necessity of completing investigations and holding those involved accountable. In this context, a US State Department spokesman told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington calls on the Lebanese government to “hold accountable all those who ordered, financed, or directed the shipment of this shipment,” reaffirming the US administration’s position calling for the complete disarmament of Hezbollah in various parts of Lebanon.
Guterres drew attention to the fact that achieving sustainable disarmament cannot be limited to the security dimension only, but rather requires addressing the governance factors and institutional, social and economic conditions that allowed weapons to remain outside the control of the state. He added that sustainable security cannot be extracted through unilateral military pressure, but rather requires a real dialogue that dismantles the root causes of the conflict, reiterating his support for the Lebanese army and calling on the international community to continue providing political and financial support and capacity-building logistics to both the army and the internal security forces.
The report stated that the process of rebuilding the south faces serious challenges represented by the Israeli presence, the extent of the widespread destruction, the scarcity of funding, and the absence of security and political certainty, stressing the readiness of the United Nations to support the Lebanese government, and calling for launching urgent initiatives to build confidence with local communities and facilitate the return of the displaced. He also stressed the comprehensiveness of the implementation of Resolution 1559 for all armed groups, Lebanese and non-Lebanese, including Palestinian factions, calling for strengthening Lebanese-Syrian cooperation in the institutional, security and economic fields, especially controlling borders and stopping the illicit flow of money and weapons.
With these facts, Lebanon finds itself facing an extremely sensitive equation, sandwiched between mounting international pressure to confine weapons to the state on the one hand, and a strict demand to end the Israeli presence north of the Blue Line on the other hand, at a time when the chance of the path’s success remains dependent on agreement on the sequence of executive steps and the state’s ability to impose its sovereignty and restore confidence locally and internationally.
