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France urged the international community to provide Lebanon's army with the means to disarm Hezbollah.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Beirut Friday and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed his government's commitment to placing all weapons under state control.
Barrot told Agence France-Presse (AFP) ahead of his arrival that France envisions Lebanon as "a strong, sovereign state holding a monopoly on arms."
"The first step to fulfil this mission is to give the Lebanese Armed Forces the means to continue the work of disarming Hezbollah," Barrot said. France will host a conference in support of the Lebanese army on March 5.
The Lebanese government launched the first phase of a disarmament plan covering the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border, approximately 30 kilometers south.
"The Lebanese government has shouldered its responsibilities by launching and carrying through to completion the first phase of this disarmament plan," Barrot said.
"The second phase must now begin, and the plan associated with this phase is to be presented in the coming days, and in any case before the conference is held," he added.
The second phase concerns the area between the Litani and Awali rivers, around 40 kilometers south of Beirut. Hezbollah has thus far refused to hand over its weapons north of the Litani.
Barrot's Beirut visit marked the final stop of a Middle East tour that took him to Syria and Iraq.
Prime Minister Salam met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace Friday, reaffirming his government's commitment to placing all weapons under state authority, according to the prime minister's office.
The meeting, attended by Lebanon's ambassador to Paris, focused on bilateral ties and preparations for the March 5 donor conference in support of the Lebanese army and security forces.
Both leaders underscored progress by the Lebanese army in asserting exclusive control over the area south of the Litani River while stressing the need for full implementation of the November 2024 ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
Salam urged an end to Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and demanded Israel's withdrawal from all remaining occupied Lebanese territory.
A senior Hezbollah official warned that pressing on with efforts to disarm the group throughout the country would trigger chaos and possibly civil war.
In an interview with Russian state media outlet RT on Jan. 14, senior Hezbollah political official Mahmoud Qmati said pursuing a state monopoly on arms further north would be "the biggest crime committed by the state."
"The path taken by the Lebanese government and state institutions will lead Lebanon to instability, chaos and perhaps even civil war," Qmati said, though he added that Hezbollah would not be dragged into a confrontation with Lebanon's army.
Hezbollah insists the November 2024 agreement only applies to the southernmost region of Lebanon bordering Israel and has refused to relinquish its arsenal elsewhere.
"There will be no talk or dialogue about any situation north of the Litani River before Israel withdraws from all Lebanese territory, liberates the South and the prisoners, and stops its violations against Lebanon," Qmati said.
The Lebanese government on Aug. 5 approved a plan, based on a draft proposal presented by U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack, to place all weapons, including those held by Hezbollah, under state control.
The Lebanese army was tasked with implementation by the end of 2025.
On Jan. 8, the Lebanese army said the first phase of the plan south of the Litani River had been completed and implementation reached an advanced stage, warning that continued Israeli attacks and occupation of Lebanese territory were undermining the process.
Salam told Macron that his government remains committed to completing the process of restricting arms nationwide in line with a plan adopted by the army in September.
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The Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon last January under the ceasefire but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
Israel says efforts to disarm Hezbollah fighters have been insufficient, raising pressure on Lebanese leaders who fear Israel could escalate strikes.
Hezbollah has said Israeli troops must withdraw from five hilltop positions they occupy in southern Lebanon, halt near-daily airstrikes and release detained Lebanese before any further disarmament is discussed.
Both Salam and Macron praised the role of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism committee. On Dec. 3, Lebanon and Israel held their first direct meeting between civilian officials since 1983.
President Joseph Aoun appointed former ambassador to Washington Simon Karam to head the Lebanese delegation to the international ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which brings together military representatives from Lebanon, France, Israel and the U.S. alongside the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.
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