Limited, Strictly Conditional: Can Hezbollah Fighters Be Integrated into the Lebanese Army?

As Hezbollah gives up military positions it has held in southern Lebanon for decades, the issues of disarmament and integrating its fighters into the Lebanese army have emerged as major challenges, especially as the group’s power has waned following its recent confrontation with the Israeli Occupation.

Hezbollah's leadership remains firm in rejecting disarmament, issuing statements seen as provocative by those in the Lebanese government, which has declared that the decision to keep all weapons under state control has already been made.

Hezbollah's Integration into the Lebanese Army

In a preemptive move, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun laid out his vision for the future integration of Hezbollah fighters into the Lebanese army during an interview with the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.

In the interview, published in mid-April 2025, President Aoun firmly ruled out replicating Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces model in Lebanon or establishing a separate unit within the army made up of Hezbollah fighters.

He explained that only individuals who meet specific criteria, such as holding proper academic qualifications and passing entrance tests, would be eligible to join the Lebanese Armed Forces. He likened the process to the post-civil war integration of militiamen from Lebanese parties into the national army in the early 1990s.

Following the end of Lebanon’s civil war in 1990, the Taif Agreement laid the foundation for rebuilding state institutions, particularly the military. One key step was integrating former militia fighters into the army as part of a broader effort to unify Lebanon’s security apparatus.

A 1991 law created a mechanism to disband militias and discharge their fighters. A limited number were then selected to join the military or internal security forces, based on criteria including competence, age, criminal record, and sectarian balance. Specialized committees were formed to evaluate candidates.

According to Lebanese media, roughly 200,000 fighters were demobilized in the initial phase. Of those, about 15,000 to 17,000 were integrated into the army or internal security forces in the early postwar years, with some parties close to the political establishment receiving preferential treatment. Some entered as regular recruits, while others were granted military ranks based on their militia roles after completing military training programs.

Today, Hezbollah no longer wields the same influence it once did as one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state actors and Iran’s most powerful ally within the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”

Its political and military structure was shaken by the latest confrontation with “Israel,” which began on October 8, 2023, in support of Gaza. The resulting ceasefire agreement led to Hezbollah withdrawing from most of its long-held positions in southern Lebanon, retreating north of the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the “Israeli border,” and dismantling much of its southern infrastructure, allowing the Lebanese army to take control.

The November 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement also mandated the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the exclusive possession of weapons by the Lebanese state.

Yet, Hezbollah’s most difficult challenge may not just be surrendering weapons and strategic positions, but facing the Lebanese government’s proposal to integrate its fighters into the national military.

Founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in 1982, Hezbollah is estimated to have around 100,000 fighters—roughly equal to the size of the Lebanese army. It also possesses a vast arsenal of weapons, including rockets, drones, mortars, artillery, and anti-aircraft missiles.

A report by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, published on October 22, 2023, estimated that Hezbollah holds between 160,000 and 200,000 rockets. Among them, according to Israeli intelligence, are long-range missiles capable of carrying 500 kilograms of explosives.

Harsh Conditions

Hezbollah’s strength, including its manpower, has significantly weakened following Israeli Occupation’s targeted assassinations of many of its top commanders during recent clashes.

This shift has emboldened the Lebanese government to move toward resolving the Hezbollah file by stripping the group of its military power, while allowing it to continue operating politically.

Still, while integrating Hezbollah members into the Lebanese army is theoretically possible, experts agree it would be on a limited scale and under harsh conditions for those seeking to join.

The main obstacle lies in the group’s military doctrine: Hezbollah is widely seen as loyal to Iran rather than to Lebanon.

Despite President Aoun repeatedly stating that Hezbollah fighters could join the army as individuals rather than as a bloc, the proposal remains controversial. Lebanese writer Richard Harfouch warns that integrating thousands of fighters from an ideologically driven militia into the national army poses a serious threat to the institution’s identity.

In an article published on Nida al-Watan on April 21, 2025, Harfouch wrote: “Allowing those raised on the doctrine of Velayat-e faqih [or guardianship of the Islamic jurist] and loyalty to Iran’s political axis to join the army would be a ticking time bomb within the military structure.”

“Such a move would require a shift in the army’s cultural and military fabric, risk internal divisions, and threaten unity and discipline.”

“It would be difficult, if not impossible, to ensure their full loyalty to the state and its institutions,” he added, especially if old religious and political affiliations continue to influence them.

Harfouch also warned that this step could politicize the army, turning it into a battleground for sectarian and partisan balances, undermining its national role and turning it into a militia in state uniform.

Such a scenario, he concluded, runs counter to Lebanon’s efforts to build a real state with unified, sovereign decision-making.

Ideological Divide

Retired Lebanese Brigadier General Wahbi Qatisha dismissed the idea of integrating Hezbollah into the Lebanese army as “impossible.”

He explained that the Lebanese army is a national institution operating under state authority with a mission to serve the country, while Hezbollah's members are religiously driven ideologues who pledge allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader, making their integration a recipe for internal conflict.

“The Lebanese army cannot financially meet Hezbollah fighters’ needs, and in terms of numbers, they surpass the army,” Qatisha said in a press interview.

With an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 fighters, he argued that “such a process would not integrate Hezbollah into the army, but rather the army into Hezbollah.”

“The ideological gap is too wide: You can’t place a soldier who believes in Lebanese sovereignty alongside someone who doesn’t even recognize it.”

Qatisha noted that “Hezbollah’s identity is primarily religious, not national. The doctrine of Velayat-e faqih doesn’t acknowledge national borders, it extends across the Shia world from Indonesia to Washington.”

In comparison to the post-war integration of militias in the 1990s, he said, “Back then, those integrated into the army had a national ideology. Hezbollah’s members don’t believe in Lebanon as an independent entity.”

Addressing parallels to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, he clarified that “President Aoun’s point was that Lebanon cannot replicate that model. In Iraq, the PMF weakened the national army and created a parallel force that dominated military decision-making.”

As for allowing Hezbollah fighters to voluntarily enlist, Qatisha pointed out that army recruitment rules require candidates to be under 21 years old. “Most Hezbollah members are over 40, which makes them ineligible under current law,” he said.

“Hezbollah members should be reintegrated into Lebanese society, but outside the security sector. Like any other citizen, their future should be in seeking civil employment within the state.”