Lebanon: Hezbollah mobilizes the streets in tandem with parliamentary sessions questioning the government
Lebanon is entering a busy week, dominated by parliamentary sessions to hold the government accountable. This political initiative marks the second such effort during the tenure of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The week also features a meeting between Lebanon’s ambassador and her Israeli counterpart in Washington, popular mobilizations by Hezbollah, and a meeting in Paris to support the Lebanese army.
The accountability sessions will be broadcast live, potentially turning the parliament into an arena for political conflict and highlighting the growing political divisions, particularly regarding Hezbollah’s arsenal and negotiations with Israel.
Hezbollah and its allies are expected to exploit the sessions to attack the government and the framework agreement signed with Tel Aviv under US sponsorship, calling for its withdrawal from the agreement and the negotiation track with Israel.
Conversely, Hezbollah’s opponents will politically target the party, holding it responsible for the wars that dragged Lebanon into, while supporting the government’s work and trajectory. They will continue to back the negotiations but emphasize the necessity of disarming Hezbollah.
Parallel to the sessions, associates of Hezbollah have called for a demonstration in front of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council in Beirut’s southern suburbs, under the slogan of confronting the destruction path Israel is pursuing in the south, amid what they describe as the “silence of the Lebanese state.”
This move could expand in the subsequent phase, or the party may gradually increase its pace, directing activities toward areas outside the southern suburbs. Preparations are underway for demonstrations against the government and the political establishment in central Beirut, within the context of political polarization based on existing divisions.
However, the fundamental reality remains that there is no political directive, either domestically or externally, to topple the government, nor does any party have the capacity to do so, as the balance of power does not permit it. Nevertheless, the scene will reinforce division and tension in Lebanon, coinciding with the meeting between Lebanon’s ambassador and her Israeli counterpart in Washington to keep the negotiation track open, even though an eighth round of negotiations at the level of expanded delegations has not been held.
The ambassadors’ meeting will focus on how to work on removing Hezbollah’s weapons from areas north of the Litani River. This has become the defining issue of the coming phase, especially since Israel now considers that the fall and explosion of Mount Ali al-Tahir must break the taboos surrounding the Lebanese discussion on removing Hezbollah’s weapons from north of the Litani. The issue of south of the Litani is no longer feasible, particularly in light of clear and public Israeli statements in which Israeli officials indicated they would not withdraw from any Lebanese territory before Hezbollah is disarmed across all Lebanese lands.
Lebanon will also host a meeting in Paris on Thursday to prepare for supporting the Lebanese army. Diplomatic sources indicate that significant results should not be expected from this meeting; rather, it is preparatory, awaiting the determination of a date for a comprehensive conference to provide financial and military aid to the army. According to sources, army leadership has prepared a clear plan regarding its needs, which amount to ten billion dollars over ten years. Present at the meeting will be ongoing discussions about forming an international force to be deployed in the south, particularly since the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends at the end of 2026. Lebanon is seeking to extend the mandate for these forces to avoid a security vacuum and the formation of an alternative force.
