SAEDNEWS: The Lebanese government began discussing on Friday an army plan to disarm Hezbollah, which the party says plays into the hands of Israel and the United States.
In August, under heavy US pressure and fearing Israel would intensify its strikes, Lebanon's government ordered the army to draw up a plan for disarming Hezbollah by the end of the year.
Hezbollah reiterated its opposition to the move on Wednesday, with its parliamentary bloc calling on Lebanese authorities to "reverse their ... unpatriotic decision."
Local media reported Shiite ministers, including representatives of Hezbollah and its ally the Amal movement, were at the meeting on Friday, after pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al Akhbar said they may refuse to discuss the plan.
However, shortly after the meeting began, Hezbollah and Amal ministers withdrew. They were later followed by the fifth Shiite minister in the Cabinet, who is affiliated to neither party and is rather close to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Friday's Cabinet session comes amid intensified Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon over the past two days, which killed at least five people, according to the health ministry and the state-run National News Agency.
