Lebanon is weighing whether to take exceptional measures, including declaring a state of emergency or imposing special measures in Beirut and southern Lebanon, as the fallout from Israel’s war and Hezbollah’s refusal to surrender its weapons to the State deepen pressure on the government.

Developments on the ground in the south, including Israeli attacks, destruction and bulldozing operations, combined with Hezbollah’s refusal to hand over its weapons to the State and stalled negotiations with Israel, warrant steps commensurate with the gravity of the situation and aimed at shielding Lebanon from the repercussions of regional escalation, ministerial sources told Al Markazia.

The sources said the circumstances surrounding the start of the current presidential term and the formation of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government had already prompted consideration of declaring a state of emergency. The government, however, decided against such a move, out of concern that it could have harmful domestic consequences at a particularly sensitive time.

The authorities have sought since the beginning of the new administration to avoid taking measures that could be perceived as targeting a particular Lebanese community, the sources said.

Declaring a state of emergency, amid the ongoing debate over weapons control, could be interpreted as a measure directed against one particular group — specifically, the one at the center of the weapons issue.

The government has therefore favored measures that “bring people together rather than divide them,” the sources said, seeking to preserve domestic stability while Lebanon confronts the repercussions of the Israeli war and broader regional developments.

Beirut military zone considered

The possibility of declaring a state of emergency in Beirut gained significant attention during the major wave of displacement from the south, amid expectations that the government might declare the capital a military zone to deal with the repercussions of the influx.

The government did not proceed with the measure, the sources said, again to avoid giving the impression that it was targeting a particular side.

Political circles told Al Markazia, however, that the current situation has made the possibility of a state of emergency, or exceptional measures in Beirut and the south, increasingly urgent and more pressing.

The issue remains under discussion, they said, and no final decision has been made.

The circles cited Western diplomatic sources as saying that developments in the region could eventually push the government toward measures of this kind.

One option under consideration would be to designate southern Lebanon and administrative Beirut — potentially including Beirut International Airport — as military zones if declaring a nationwide state of emergency for a limited period proves unfeasible.

The purpose of any such exceptional measures would be to contain the fallout from developments on the ground and help facilitate implementation of the “framework agreement,” the sources said.

They added that this could take place alongside U.S. pressure on Israel to comply with the agreement, with Lebanon expected to take corresponding domestic measures to address the demands of the current phase.