Lebanon Bans Hezbollah Military Activity

Lebanon’s government on Monday ordered a ban on the security and military activities of Hezbollah and demanded the group surrender its weapons, as tensions with Israel sharply escalated.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said after a Cabinet meeting in Beirut that the state rejects any military operations launched from Lebanese territory and insists that decisions on war and peace rest solely with the government.

Salam condemned recent rocket launches from Lebanon and said Hezbollah must limit its role to political activity. He added that security agencies have been instructed to prevent any military operations, rocket fire or drone launches from Lebanese soil and to arrest those responsible under applicable laws.

The prime minister also directed the Lebanese Army to move forward with a plan to restrict weapons north of the Litani River, part of broader efforts to reassert state control over arms.

Salam stressed that Lebanon does not want to be drawn into a wider regional conflict amid heightened tensions. He called on guarantor countries of the ceasefire arrangement to secure a clear and final commitment from Israel to halt all attacks on Lebanese territory. He also expressed Lebanon’s readiness to resume negotiations under international sponsorship.

The developments follow Israeli airstrikes early Monday that hit multiple locations across Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported at least 31 people killed and 149 injured in a preliminary toll.

For his part, Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief of staff, said the Israeli military had launched what he described as an offensive campaign against Hezbollah and warned that several days of fighting could lie ahead.

The Israeli military said it targeted senior Hezbollah figures in Beirut and southern Lebanon, describing the strikes as a response to projectiles fired toward Israel. Hezbollah said it had launched rockets and drones at an Israeli missile defense site south of Haifa, calling it retaliation for repeated Israeli attacks.

The exchange marks the first major Hezbollah attack on Israel since a ceasefire reached in November 2024 ended more than a year of hostilities between the two sides, raising fears of renewed conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border.