The Lebanese military said on Thursday that it had completed the first phase of a plan to disarm militant groups under a deal that ended Israel’s war with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed organization, as fears grew that Israel could launch a new offensive in Lebanon.
A fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the 2024 war has been in place for more than a year, and the Lebanese government has been under intense pressure to disarm the group, as required under the truce. The military’s statement did not mention Hezbollah directly, but in recent months, Israeli and U.S. officials have warned that Israel could begin a large-scale military campaign against Hezbollah if more progress on disarmament is not made.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement that the disarmament efforts were an “encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient,” and repeated Israeli claims that Hezbollah was seeking to rearm.
Mr. Netanyahu has informed some of his ministers that President Trump has given Israel a green light to act in Lebanon and to carry out another offensive against the group, Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, reported on Wednesday. But it is unclear when such an attack would take place or how long it could last. Mr. Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the Kan report.
For months, Hezbollah has resisted pressure to disarm nationwide unless Israel makes parallel concessions, including an end to near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon and a withdrawal from several hilltop positions it controls in the country.
But Israel has refused to meet those demands until Hezbollah disarms.
The standoff has forced the Lebanese government into an difficult position. It is desperate to unlock billions of dollars in foreign aid from Western and Persian Gulf nations that are contingent on disarming Hezbollah, but it also fears that unilateral action against the group could provoke civil unrest. Although Hezbollah was severely weakened by the war with Israel, it retains broad support in Lebanon’s Shiite Muslim community.
The Lebanese military’s announcement came before a cabinet meeting where President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam were expected to review disarmament plans centered on Hezbollah but also covering smaller Palestinian armed factions in Lebanon.
“The army confirms that its plan to restrict weapons has entered an advanced stage, after achieving the goals of the first phase effectively and tangibly on the ground,” the military said.
Since the road map to disarm Hezbollah went into effect in September, the Lebanese military has cleared tunnels, rocket-launching sites and other fortified positions south of the Litani River. The Lebanese military is also close to completing its deployment of 10,000 soldiers to the country’s south, as mandated by the cease-fire, according to two senior Lebanese security officials.
The Lebanese military said that it was continuing to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels to prevent armed groups from “irreversibly rebuilding their capabilities,” adding that details on the next phase of disarmament would be announced soon. This is expected to focus on areas of southern Lebanon just north of the Litani River, including the port city of Sidon, though officials have not made a timeline public.
Israel has intensified its bombardment of the area since the cease-fire took effect, saying it is hitting Hezbollah targets. Analysts say much of what remains of the group’s military infrastructure is concentrated there, as well as in eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s densely populated southern suburbs, where disarmament has not begun.
Isabel Kershner and Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting.
Euan Ward is a Times reporter covering Lebanon and Syria. He is based in Beirut.
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