The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is ready to begin disarming Hezbollah between the Litani and Awali rivers as part of the second phase of its disarmament plan, according to a Critical Threats report shared on X over the past two hours ending at 5:16 p.m. UTC on December 18, 2025. This effort would mark an unprecedented step by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah north of the Litani River, as stated in the Critical Threats analysis published December 17, 2025, and posted during the reporting window from 3:17 p.m. to 5:16 p.m. UTC. The development follows reports of French, Saudi Arabian and U.S. officials scheduled to meet the head of the Lebanese army in Paris on Thursday to finalize a Hezbollah disarmament roadmap amid a 2025 year-end deadline, according to a Reuters report cited in the previous reporting period.
