Hezbollah has rejected the Lebanese government's decision to develop a plan for state monopoly over weapons, saying it will treat the decision "as if it does not exist", Al-Mayadeen reported on August 6.

The party accused Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government of committing a "major error" by taking a decision that strips Lebanon of resistance weapons against Israel. Hezbollah said the move weakens Lebanon's position amid what it called continued Israeli-American aggression.

The decision represents a "clear violation of the National Pact" and contradicts the government's ministerial statement, which commits to taking all necessary measures to liberate Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation, according to Hezbollah's statement.

The party said the decision came as a result of direct dictates from US envoy Thomas Barrack, noting that Salam announced the council "decided to continue discussing the American paper next Thursday and tasked the Lebanese army with developing an implementation plan for weapons monopoly before the end of this year".

Hezbollah ministers and Amal Movement ministers walked out of the government session in protest against the decision, which the party said reflects widespread popular rejection of subjecting Lebanon to American guardianship and Israeli occupation.

The statement noted that the government had disregarded President Joseph Aoun's commitment in his inaugural speech to call for Lebanese to discuss a comprehensive defence policy within a national security strategy, including diplomatic, economic and military levels.

Hezbollah expressed openness to dialogue and discussing national security strategy, but said the priority should be implementing the ceasefire agreement from the Israeli side first and working to liberate all Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation as stated in the ministerial statement.

The party concluded its statement addressing its supporters, saying "this is a summer cloud that will pass, God willing, and we are accustomed to patience and victory".