Five Shia ministers walk out of cabinet debate as Hezbollah remains adamant it will hold onto its weapons.Published On 5 Sep 20255 Sep 2025Lebanon’s army has presented a plan to the government’s cabinet to disarm Hezbollah, saying the military will begin executing it, as some ministers staged a walkout before the session began.On Friday, Lebanon’s cabinet met for three hours, which included the plan’s presentation by army commander Rodolphe Haykal. The plan did not set a timeframe for implementation and cautioned that the army had limited capabilities.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listLebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos told reporters after the session that the government welcomed the plan, but stopped short of saying the cabinet had formally passed it.He said the army would begin implementing the plan according to its logistical, material and personnel capabilities, which might require “additional time [and] additional effort”.Morcos said the plan’s details would remain secret.A national divide over Hezbollah’s disarmament has taken centre stage in Lebanon since last year’s devastating war with Israel, which upended a power balance long dominated by Hezbollah. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (centre), Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and members of the cabinet stand as they attend a cabinet session to discuss the army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters]Five Shia ministers, including those from Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement, walked out of the cabinet meeting, with the Lebanese armed group adamant it will hold onto its weapons.The walkout happened as Lebanon’s army chief Haykal entered the meeting to present a plan for disarming the group, local media reported. Advertisement Hezbollah and Amal ministers have now walked out of cabinet meetings three times over the disarmament issue.Hezbollah-aligned Labor Minister Mohammad Haida …
