Homeland Shield Plan

Homeland Shield Plan

Location	Lebanon
Cause	United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006)
Motive	Establishing the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territory and disarming militias.
Participants	Lebanon United States Hezbollah

Background

For decades Lebanese governments have struggled to have state authority over arms in the country. Ever since the start of the Lebanese Civil War, many militias hold independent weapon arsenals, when the most notable one was Hezbollah, even though the government attempted to centralize control many times. International intervention as: United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006), explicitly called for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non Lebanese militias. But no government was able to implement these resolutions.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The last few years have seen high tension and cross border armed clashes with Israel, which led after the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon to a major crisis in Southern Lebanon. The Iranian backed Hezbollah held on to most of its military strength, which made it difficult for the new Lebanese government to have control over arms in the country and enforce the international agreements.^[2] This put the Lebanese government stuck between internal conflict, regional ones and international pressure to centralize weapons control.^[1]^[2]^[3]

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Implementation

Summarize

Perspective

Following the 2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement, the establishment of a new elected Lebanese government and international pressure, Lebanon's cabinet tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces in August 2025 to draw a plan for centralizing weapons control.^[2] On September 2025, General Rodolphe Haykal presented the plan named "Homeland Shield" to the cabinet, which approved it. the plan is a 5 phase roadmap for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, starting in Southern Lebanon, in the area south of the Litani River, then moving up to northern areas, mainly aiming to dismantle Hezbollah's arsenal throughout Lebanon.^[4]^[5]

Phases of Implementation

The Homeland Shield Plan is divided into five phases:^[6]^[7]

Phase 1

During this phase the Lebanese army will complete the disarmament south of the Litani River, where a substantial amount of weapons were already collected with the help of UNIFIL.^[6]^[7]

Phase 2

Will expand operations to the north of the Litani River up to the Awali River, that is as the entryway to South Lebanon.^[6]^[7]

Phase 3

Will concentrate on Beirut and its suburbs in order to centralize control in a politically sensitive area (Dahieh and Palestinian camps).^[6]^[7]

Phase 4

Will focus on the Bekaa Valley region, extending disarmament reach into eastern Lebanon.^[6]^[7]

Phase 5

the final phase of the roadmap will see further activities in the rest of the country, including northern parts of Lebanon, ensuring nationwide enforcement.^[6]^[7]

The government supported the plan that most of its details were not published, as the implementation of phase 1 already began in early September in Southern Lebanon, where the army started collecting weapons and dismantling Hezbollah bunkers.^[8]^[6]

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Reactions

The "Homeland Shield" roadmap that was approved by the government, caused a large political debate in Lebanon and brought International ones too.

Domestic

Lebanese government. Supports the plan, but did not give a lay out a specific timeline for its implementation.^[9]

Nawaf Salam. While maintaining an ongoing stand on centralizing weapons in Lebanon, was quoted saying that the plan is "positively considered", and remains firm in his position about the disarmament of Hezbollah.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Lebanese Information Minister. Information Minister Paul Morcos noted that further steps would depend on the cessation of Israeli strikes and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.^[9]

Shiite Parties. They have walked out of the cabinet meeting on 5 September 2025, later to declare their objection to the roadmap, saying it is illegitimate.^[13]

International

The US, France, and other mediators connected the "Homeland Shield" Plan to keeping the ceasefire, supporting UN peacekeepers, and giving Lebanon economic aid. Experts warned it would only work with strong diplomacy and careful handling of clashes between armed groups.^[14]