Army chief rejects clash with Hezbollah as four-stage plan takes shape

Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal has conveyed to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that he does not seek a direct confrontation with Hezbollah, according to a Tuesday meeting at Ain el-Tineh reported by the pro-Hezbollah daily al-Akhbar. The paper, citing senior sources, described the talks as “positive,” noting that Haykal had also communicated this stance to Hezbollah’s leadership.

Haykal reportedly emphasized that the disarmament of Hezbollah should be achieved through “dialogue and understanding” rather than force. He underscored that any such process must avoid destabilizing Lebanon’s internal balance, pointing out that Hezbollah is a “fundamental Lebanese component” within the country’s political and social fabric.

Government Orders and Strategic Planning

The Lebanese government has mandated the army to prepare a comprehensive plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. In the meeting, Haykal is said to have remarked that “the problem is with the authority, not with the army,” implying that the issue lies in political will and consensus rather than military capability.

According to al-Akhbar’s sources, the army is currently formulating a four-phase disarmament strategy, beginning with the removal of Hezbollah’s heavy missile capabilities. This framework appears to align closely with an American-proposed sequence, which envisions starting in the zone between the Litani and Awali rivers, then extending to the Bekaa Valley, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and finally the wider Greater Beirut area.

Broader Implications

While the specifics of the plan remain undisclosed, both the Lebanese and U.S. proposals suggest a gradual, region-by-region approach aimed at reducing Hezbollah’s military capacity without triggering large-scale conflict. Analysts note that such strategies face significant political and logistical challenges, especially given Hezbollah’s deep-rooted influence in key regions and its role in Lebanon’s security and political landscape.