Lebanon Cabinet Orders Military to Disarm Beirut Following Massive Israeli Airstrikes

PM Nawaf Salam orders Lebanese forces to monopolize weapons in Beirut after "Operation Eternal Darkness" strikes killed 250+. Read about the new state directive.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Emergency Directive for State Sovereignty

In a decisive move to reassert domestic control, the Lebanese cabinet on April 9, 2026, issued an immediate order to security forces to purge Beirut of all non-state weaponry. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, speaking after an emergency session, demanded that the army begin "reinforcing the full imposition of state authority" over the capital. The decree specifically targets the presence of unauthorized armed groups, mandating that the possession and use of arms be restricted exclusively to legitimate state institutions. This policy escalation reflects a growing urgency within the caretaker government to insulate the capital from further military pretexts and internal instability.

A Capital Reeling from Operation Eternal Darkness

The cabinet’s order follows "Operation Eternal Darkness," a massive Israeli offensive on April 8 that hit at least five central neighborhoods in Beirut without prior warning. The strikes, which Israel claimed targeted Hezbollah intelligence and missile infrastructure, occurred during rush hour in busy commercial and residential districts like Corniche al-Mazraa. Lebanese health officials reported a catastrophic toll, with at least 254 people killed and over 1,100 injured nationwide in a single day. The sheer scale of the devastation has flooded Beirut’s medical centers and prompted the government to declare April 9 as a day of national mourning.

The Failure of Previous Hezbollah Proscriptions

While the current directive is framed as a city-wide weapons ban, it highlights the government's struggle to enforce a March 2, 2026, decision that officially prohibited Hezbollah’s military and security activities. Although the Lebanese cabinet had previously declared all such operations illegal and called for the surrender of weapons, the group has continued to conduct cross-border strikes and maintain an armed presence in urban centers. Prime Minister Salam’s latest instruction to "monopolize weapons" represents a renewed attempt to translate that legislative ban into physical reality, specifically within the sensitive Beirut Governorate.