Hezbollah Reportedly Open to Disarmament Talks if Israel Withdraws
Hezbollah has indicated it is open to negotiating its disarmament with the Lebanese government, on the condition that Israel withdraws from five remaining positions it occupies in southern Lebanon and halts airstrikes, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing an anonymous senior Hezbollah official.
“Hezbollah is ready to discuss the matter of its arms if Israel withdraws from the five points, and halts its aggression against Lebanese,” Reuters reported the official as saying. The statement marks a rare public willingness by the Iran-backed group to consider relinquishing its arsenal, long seen by critics as a major obstacle to Lebanese sovereignty and stability.
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The group’s new stance comes as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun prepares to initiate talks on integrating all weapons into state control—a central promise of his administration—and days after the US reaffirmed its call for Hezbollah disarmament. In an interview with Lebanese television on Sunday, US envoy Morgan Ortagus said, “It’s clear that Hezbollah has to be disarmed and it’s clear that Israel is not going to accept terrorists shooting at them, into their country, and that’s a position we understand.”
Calls for disarmament have grown since Hezbollah suffered heavy losses in its 2024 conflict with Israel, losing top commanders, thousands of fighters, and a significant portion of its missile stockpile.
Aoun and top officials are reportedly exploring a phased transfer of Hezbollah’s advanced weaponry, including drones and anti-tank missiles, to the military. According to the Hezbollah source, Aoun has said that any disarmament must be achieved through dialogue rather than force in order to avoid conflict.
