Lebanon: Government to meet amid deep divide over Hezbollah's weapons
Lebanon is awaiting the outcome of a government session set to convene shortly at the presidential palace on Tuesday, with a key agenda item focused on the 'exclusive state control over weapons' and the handover of Hezbollah's arms to the Lebanese Army.
The session is taking place against the backdrop of a sharp political divide among participating parties. While some are pushing for a formal decision on exclusive state control over arms, others argue that such a step should come only after several conditions are met.
These include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, the release of Lebanese detainees captured during the recent war, and a cessation of targeted killings and daily violations of the ceasefire agreement.
During a meeting between a Hezbollah parliamentary delegation and Free Patriotic Movement Leader Gebran Bassil, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad stated that "what hinders state-building in Lebanon is the Israeli aggression, not Hezbollah."
'The worst-case scenario we must all avoid is turning the issue from a Lebanese-Israeli conflict into a Lebanese-Lebanese one,' Fayyad added, stressing that the solution must begin with the guarantor countries fulfilling their agreed obligations.
Lebanese media outlets have published several reported leaks regarding the expected outcome of today's session. Among the most prominent is the possibility that the discussion on exclusive weapons control will be extended to future sessions, amid apparent concern among political factions about destabilizing the country's political and security environment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Baghdad denies Taji drone strike
Shafaq News – Baghdad On Tuesday, Baghdad Operations Command rejected claims of a drone strike and fire at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) site in Taji, north of the capital. In a statement, the command urged media outlets to verify information through official channels before publication. The denial comes amid renewed scrutiny of the PMF—a state-sponsored but largely pro-Iran network of paramilitary groups—whose presence near Iraqi bases housing US and coalition forces has reportedly been a source of tension. A senior security official also clarified to Shafaq News that no PMF-affiliated sites are located within the Taji base and that no military facility in the area had been targeted.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Speaker nullifies Iraq parliament session over procedural breach
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani declared Tuesday's legislative session 'invalid,' asserting that it was held without his authorization and in breach of parliamentary rules. In an official letter addressed to his first and second deputies, members of parliament, and all relevant bodies, al-Mashhadani cited Article 34/2 of Parliament's internal regulations, which grants him exclusive authority to open and chair sittings, pointing out that no parliamentary session can be held in his absence unless he formally delegates authority or is officially unable to perform his duties. Iraq's Parliament held a heated meeting on July 5 that ended in chaos after a dispute erupted between the Speaker, his deputies, and several lawmakers, forcing the session to be adjourned until further notice. The dispute soon drew in MPs from the Shiite Coordination Framework and Sunni alliances, including lawmakers Alaa al-Haidari and Raad al-Dahlaki. A parliamentary source told Shafaq News the confrontation escalated over the inclusion of a vote on the Federal Service Council in the session's agenda. Al-Mashhadani objected to the item being added during his brief departure from the chamber, leading to a verbal clash with al-Mandalawi. The session opened with 167 lawmakers in attendance and was expected to vote on several key laws, including amendments to the Education Law and the Law on equivalency of foreign degrees (Law No. 20 of 2020). But the quorum was broken after Sunni MPs walked out in protest. MP Zuhair al-Fatlawi from the Ishraqat Kanoon Movement told Shafaq News that the disruption stemmed from political disagreements rather than technical obstacles. He added that some Sunni blocs insisted on creating a special oversight body for the Federal Service Council, rejecting the proposed law in its current form. In a statement, MP Raad al-Dahlaki, head of the Azm Alliance in Diyala, condemned the events as 'a targeted insult not only to al-Mashhadani personally, but to the Sunni community as a whole,' accusing 'certain factions' of 'attempting to dominate Iraq's last key state institutions—namely the Federal Service Council and the State Council—while denying Sunnis their rightful share.' 'What's worse is that this scheme is being aided by blocs that claim to represent the Sunni constituency,' al-Dahlaki stated. MP Mohammed al-Ziyadi told Shafaq News that the clash collapse was a 'misunderstanding' between the Speaker and his deputy, explaining that al-Mashhadani believed his first deputy had taken advantage of his brief absence to insert controversial items onto the agenda and hold a vote without broader political consensus. Parliament is not expected to reconvene before the Arbaeen, on August 15, after which the disputed laws may be resubmitted for a vote, he revealed.
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
US warns Iraq: PMF Law threatens security ties
Shafaq News – Washington On Tuesday, the US State Department opposed Iraq's proposed legislation on the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), cautioning the bill could reshape the nature of the bilateral security relationship with Baghdad. During a press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce characterized the draft—formally known, the PMF Authority Law —as strengthening Iran-linked factions and US- designated ''terrorist groups.'' Similar concerns feature in a recent report by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, which warned the legislation could undermine Iraq's security sector reform efforts and offer legal protection to armed groups operating outside state authority. The think tank also encouraged the Trump administration to respond through a combination of pressure tools, including sanctions targeting PMF leaders, partial suspension of security cooperation with Baghdad, and conditioning military aid on Iraq's adherence to a state monopoly on arms and demonstrable reform progress. Earlier, a political source familiar with the matter informed Shafaq News the bill, initially expected to be brought to a vote during the current parliamentary session, is now likely to face delays. Disagreements continue among key political forces—particularly within the Shiite bloc—over the PMF's structure and long-term role. Moreover, Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani confirmed that US officials have been applying diplomatic efforts to prevent the legislation from advancing in its current form. The proposed law comes nearly nine years after the Iraqi parliament passed initial legislation recognizing the PMF in November 2016. That earlier move, adopted in response to the ISIS's capture of Mosul and other areas, lacked organizational detail and has since prompted calls for revisions to clearly define the PMF's place within Iraq's security framework.
