Approximately 400 Hezbollah field commanders have been ordered to leave Lebanon for various South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, according to a new report in Saudi media.
A Latin American diplomatic source told Al Hadath that 200 commanders have already reached South America, with the rest expected to depart Lebanon in due course.
It is worth noting that Hezbollah already has an established terrorist network in South America, and in Lebanon maintains a force of several tens of thousands of terrorists.
The group had reportedly issued the order due to fears that the commanders could be targeted if and when its military infrastructure is dismantled by the Lebanese government, the source said.
On Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that 2025 would mark a shift to a state monopoly on weapons in the country, indicating the Hezbollah would be forced to disarm.
He asserted that this disarmament would be achieved "through dialogue" and emphasised his efforts to prevent a civil war. According to Aoun, communication with the organisation is "good and direct," and "the results are evident on the ground".
He also noted that the Lebanese army is sealing tunnels and confiscating and destroying Hezbollah weapons depots. Aoun further stated that in his view, integrating Hezbollah into the Lebanese army should follow the model used with militias in the 1990s, whereby individuals were absorbed separately.
Senior Hezbollah figure Mahmoud Qamati responded in a speech to the government's call to disarm.
"We are committed to our weapons, we are committed to our resistance," said Qamati, referencing a statement by slain Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah: "Whoever reaches out to touch our weapons—their hand will be cut off."
Hezbollah was decimated during its war with Israel last year, with its number believed to have been severely diminished.
IDF troops remain in five locations in southern Lebanon, citing a delay in the deployment of Lebanese state forces to replace them.
