The government of Nawaf Salam met at the Grand Serail on Nov. 12, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — The issue of allowances for military personnel was to be addressed Thursday by the Cabinet, which has been meeting since 3:40 p.m. at the Grand Serail in Beirut.
Nawaf Salam's Cabinet could endorse the granting of allowances for members of the armed forces, whether retired or on active duty, for the months of November and December. The Cabinet is also expected to address the matter of assistance for owners of residential and non-residential units damaged during the thirteen-month war between Hezbollah and Israel.
However, neither the disarmament of the Shiite party nor the electoral law are on the agenda, despite having been discussed by the government last Thursday.
The Salam government is expected, among other matters, to examine a request from the Finance Ministry to approve a financial allowance for November and December for active or retired service members and the families of those considered military martyrs.
On Thursday morning, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber addressed the issue of aid to military personnel, particularly financial assistance for the families of soldiers killed in action, during a meeting with Defense Minister Michel Menassa.
Jaber indicated that he had prepared a draft decree multiplying family allowances for military personnel by 20 and sent it to the Civil Service Board. He also announced he was looking into the possibility of doubling the education allowance for children of retired soldiers, as is already the case for those of active service members.
The two ministers finally agreed to establish joint commissions to set the terms for housing aid to the families of soldiers fallen on the battlefield, as well as to settle amounts due for the occupation of properties used by the Lebanese Army (acquisitions and requisitions) from 2012 to the present.
Former soldiers have mobilized repeatedly to demand salary revaluations, as their pay has been seriously eroded by the sharp depreciation of the Lebanese pound. Serving military personnel's salaries have also suffered from both this depreciation and the deep economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2019.
Compensation after the war with Israel
Also on the agenda is a follow-up on the study of a compensation mechanism for residential and non-residential units following Israeli attacks after Oct. 8, 2023.
The topic is currently being debated, as Hezbollah is insisting that Lebanese authorities finance the reconstruction of areas affected by the latest war. The international community, for its part, is conditioning any reconstruction aid on Hezbollah's disarmament. It is in this context that Israel has repeatedly bombed construction equipment in recent weeks.
Regarding the issue of disarming militias in Lebanon, the Lebanese Forces (LF) have submitted a question to the government concerning "the follow-up on the implementation of its decision to assign the Lebanese Army the task of removing illegal weapons from all organizations, including Palestinian factions present on Lebanese territory."
In September, the government tasked the armed forces with implementing its plan for militia disarmament, with Hezbollah as a primary focus. Disarming Palestinian factions has also started in some camps across the country.
Last Thursday, the government debated disarmament of the militias — particularly Hezbollah — and the vote of Lebanese expatriates. Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal presented the troops' monthly report, tasked with implementing the authorities' strategy for a monopoly on arms.
Also on the agenda is discussion of a new bill to amend Article 4 of Law No. 1, promulgated on April 3, 2025, concerning the rental of non-residential real estate, a text that has stirred public debate for several months. A version of this law, passed this year, was unsuccessfully challenged before the Constitutional Council.
