Lebanese Army raises readiness level to 75% ahead of Cabinet meeting

BEIRUT — The Lebanese Army on Thursday ordered troops to increase operational readiness to 75 percent, according to an internal command document published by several media outlets and confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour. A highly anticipated Cabinet meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m., during which the army is expected to present its plan for the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militias.

"You are asked to strictly apply the contents of document 31/H M/operations, dated Sept. 24, 2024, concerning the increase in readiness level to 75 percent," the document dated Sept. 4, 2025, reads. It was addressed to the commands of the "sector south of the Litani, the presidential guard, the military police, naval forces, air forces, and the anti-tank regiment." A source close to army intelligence described the orders as "precautionary measures," without providing further details, amid mounting pressure on the government over the disarmament plan.

Threats of tension

Hezbollah and its allies have warned of tensions or even a "confrontation," as Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem suggested on Aug. 15, if disarmament is enforced. Convoys of supporters on scooters were again seen in Beirut’s southern suburbs Thursday night, echoing earlier gatherings after the army was tasked with preparing its disarmament plan.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah opponents are pressing for a swift handover of the party’s arsenal, while the United States has signaled, according to sources cited by the New York Times, the possibility of a “renewed Israeli military campaign” and cuts to U.S. aid for the Lebanese Army.

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Amid rising tensions, the army has deployed at strategic points in Beirut and the southern suburbs to prevent incidents ahead of the Cabinet meeting. An anonymous source told Saudi channel Al-Arabiya that the army has already completed 85 percent of its missions south of the Litani in southern Lebanon.

Under the cease-fire agreement signed on Nov. 27, 2024, between Lebanon and Israel and based on UNSC Resolution 1701, the Lebanese Army is responsible for deploying south of the Litani in place of Hezbollah, which is required to withdraw its forces and dismantle its infrastructure. The army carries out this process with support from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).