US approves $230 million aid package to Lebanon for Hezbollah disarmament

According to a Reuters report citing sources in Washington and Beirut, the US administration approved a $230 million aid package this week for Lebanese security institutions to ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah.

A Lebanese source indicated that $190 million of this amount is allocated to the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the remaining $40 million designated for the Internal Security Forces.

Democratic members of Congress noted that the appropriation was passed just before the end of Washington’s fiscal year on September 30. One member commented, “For a small country like Lebanon, this is truly significant.”

The appropriation was approved at a time when the Trump administration has been cutting numerous foreign aid programs, emphasizing an “America First” priority in the use of tax revenues.

Responding to a request for comment, a US State Department spokesperson stated via email that US aid supports Lebanese forces in their efforts “to establish Lebanese sovereignty throughout the country and to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which is the only viable framework for a lasting security arrangement for both Lebanese and Israelis.”

Resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, brought an end to the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

The conflict between Israel and Lebanon, which erupted a year prior, weakened Hezbollah and left parts of the country in ruins.

Under pressure from the US, the Lebanese government on August 5 approved a resolution stipulating that all weapons in the country be brought under state control and that all arms, including those of Hezbollah, be surrendered by the end of the year. This politically and socially resonant move was described by the US as “brave” and “historic.”

Hezbollah, however, argued that the government’s decision was a “grave mistake,” claiming it would “deprive Lebanon of its resistance weapon against Israel.”

According to the Lebanese source, the funds will enable the Internal Security Forces to take over domestic security, thereby allowing the army to concentrate on other critical missions.