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Hezbollah has transferred control of most of its military positions in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army, a source close to the Iran-backed terrorist group told Agence France-Presse on Saturday, in a potential step toward disarmament under the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The anonymous source said that out of 265 Hezbollah posts located south of the Litani River, approximately 190 have been handed over to the Lebanese military.
The development comes in line with the terms of a ceasefire agreement signed in late November, which stipulates that Hezbollah must withdraw from all positions south of the Litani and dismantle its infrastructure in that region. Under the agreement, only Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers are authorized to operate in southern Lebanon.
The report follows remarks by a senior Hezbollah official earlier this week, expressing a willingness to discuss disarmament. On Thursday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji acknowledged that Beirut had been informed it would not receive international aid unless the country’s weapons — both north and south of the Litani — were brought under state control.
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According to Rajji, U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, deputy to special envoy Steve Witkoff, reaffirmed this condition during her visit to Lebanon earlier this week. Ortagus, who has compared Hezbollah to a cancer, urged Lebanese authorities to expedite the disarmament process. In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster LBCI, she said, “We continue to urge the government to take all necessary steps to end hostilities, including the disarmament of Hezbollah and all militias.”
Foreign Minister Rajji denied any discussions of a specific timeline but confirmed Ortagus stated the process “must happen soon.” He also called on the international community to press Israel to withdraw from five strategic areas it still controls in southern Lebanon. “This would remove any justification Hezbollah uses to maintain its weapons and would strengthen Lebanon’s diplomatic stance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV reported that the Lebanese army has begun entering additional Hezbollah bases north of the Litani, which had not previously been vacated by the group. The channel also said the army is nearing completion of dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure south of the river.
Weapons confiscation is being carried out gradually, and sources indicated that a formal agreement on a handover mechanism is in the works.