As we reported earlier, Lebanon’s cabinet has met to discuss Hezbollah’s arsenal after the US ramped up pressure on ministers to publicly commit to disarm the group amid fears Israel could intensify strikes if they fail to do so.

The government commissioned the army to present a disarmament plan before the end of the month.

But Qassem said Hezbollah would not accept any timetable on handing over its weapons to the Lebanese state while Israeli strikes continue. Instead he called on the government to make plans to face threats and pressure

“A divided government discussed one of the most divisive issues in Lebanon: the fate of Hezbollah’s weapons,” Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said, reporting from Beirut.

“It’s unprecedented for a Lebanese government to do so, and it shows a big shift in the balance of power after Israel’s war on the group last year. And it’s doing so under pressure from the United States and Israel, who want a formal commitment and a timeline to disarm Hezbollah.”