Lebanon Struggles to Disarm Hezbollah as Israel Occupies 68 Southern Towns

3 articles · Updated · The New Yorker · May 29

Lebanon’s push to curb Hezbollah has produced only limited results: fighters caught moving rifles and ammunition were fined about $10, and arrests have slowed as fighting intensifies.
The crackdown faltered because Hezbollah kept attacking Israel after a March ban, while Beirut fears a harder campaign could trigger sectarian conflict or even revive civil-war-era fractures.
Israel’s continued occupation and strikes have deepened the impasse. Hezbollah says it will discuss disarmament only after Israel withdraws and halts attacks; Israel says it will stay until Hezbollah is disarmed.
The Lebanese Army has cleared some depots and tunnels since the 2024 ceasefire, but it remains underpowered despite more than $3 billion in U.S. aid and lacks the capability to replace Hezbollah on the border.
That leaves Lebanon trapped between foreign pressure and domestic division: many citizens want all arms under state control, but in the war-hit south Israeli attacks are reviving support for Hezbollah’s weapons.

With Hezbollah weakened, can Lebanon's fragile army seize control before the powerful militia rebuilds?

Can Lebanon disarm Hezbollah when many see it as their only defense against Israel's occupation?