Lebanon's Sovereignty Under Siege: Western Imperialism and the Disarmament Dilemma

The Facts:

The Lebanese government faces an impossible situation as it attempts to navigate competing demands from international powers and internal factions. Following the Gaza ceasefire, attention has shifted to Lebanon where the government must disarm Hezbollah while Israel continues near-daily airstrikes that have killed 103 Lebanese civilians since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement. President Joseph Aoun has called for international pressure on Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory and honor existing agreements.

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), under Commander General Rudolph Haykel, produced its first monthly report on disarming Hezbollah, though details remain confidential. Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh described the progress as “excellent,” focusing initially on the South Litani Sector where UN peacekeepers operate. However, the LAF faces severe limitations due to Lebanon’s seven-year economic collapse, devalued currency decimating salaries, and Israel’s ongoing occupation of strategic hill positions inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah, led by Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, refuses unilateral disarmament while Israeli forces remain on Lebanese soil. The organization maintains that discussion of its weapons can only occur after Israeli withdrawal, cessation of aggression, prisoner release, and reconstruction begins. Hezbollah’s social-welfare apparatus, including hospitals, schools, and clinics, depends heavily on Iranian support that would likely cease if the group disarmed.

Meanwhile, Israel’s hawkish behavior complicates disarmament efforts. The Israeli military occupies five hilltop positions inside Lebanon, maintains a free-fire zone along the border, and continues airstrikes despite the ceasefire. The United States pressures Lebanon for disarmament results while doing little to compel Israeli compliance with agreements.

Opinion:

This situation represents everything wrong with Western foreign policy in the Global South. The arrogant presumption that Lebanon must disarm its resistance movements while under constant Israeli aggression is the height of imperialist hypocrisy. How dare the United States and its allies demand that Lebanon surrender its defensive capabilities while turning a blind eye to Israel’s blatant violations of international law and daily attacks on Lebanese sovereignty?

This is not about security or peace - it’s about neutralizing resistance to Western hegemony in the region. Hezbollah emerged precisely because of Israeli invasion and occupation, yet the so-called ‘international community’ expects them to disarm while their occupier remains entrenched on their land. The sheer audacity of this demand reveals the racist underpinnings of Western foreign policy that treats Global South nations as subjects rather than sovereign equals.

The economic strangulation of Lebanon through years of crisis has deliberately weakened state institutions, making the disarmament process even more challenging. Now the LAF, with decimated salaries and limited resources, must somehow achieve what powerful nations cannot - all while Israel continues its aggression unchecked. This is neo-colonialism in its purest form: demanding compliance from weakened states while empowering their aggressors.

Lebanon’s Shia community understands this dynamic perfectly. Their support for Hezbollah’s armed resistance stems from lived experience of Israeli aggression and the recognition that without defensive capabilities, they become vulnerable to both external threats and domestic sectarian pressures. The West’s one-sided application of ‘international rules’ exposes the fraudulent nature of the so-called rules-based order - it’s merely a tool for maintaining Western dominance.

The path forward must begin with unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory and cessation of all attacks. Only then can genuine discussions about national defense strategy occur. The Global South must stand united against such blatant imperialist manipulation and support Lebanon’s right to determine its own security needs without foreign coercion.