The Lebanese government asked the national army Tuesday to prepare a plan in which only state institutions will have weapons in the small nation by the end of the year, a move that aims to disarm the militant Hezbollah group.

Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November with a US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it contro

Such a move would effectively disarm Hezbollah, an Iran- backed Shiite political party and militant group in Lebanon. It comes as part of implementing a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah,