Hezbollah said on Wednesday the Lebanese government was committing a "grave sin" by tasking the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms, sharpening a national divide over calls for the Shiite Muslim group to disarm.
The cabinet on Tuesday authorised the Lebanese army to draw up a plan to confine arms across the country to six official security forces by year's end – a major challenge to the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The plan is to be presented to the cabinet by the end of August for discussion and approval.
The move came after the US and anti-Hezbollah parties in Lebanon ramped up pressure on the cabinet to publicly commit to disarming the party, amid fears that Israel could intensify strikes on Lebanon if they fail to do so.
In a written statement on Wednesday, Hezbollah said it views the move as "the result of dictates from US envoy" Tom Barrack, referring to a proposal he submitted to authorities calling for the group's disarmament within a timetable.
"The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam committed a grave sin by taking a decision to strip Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy... This decision fully serves Israel's interest," the group said.
"This decision undermines Lebanon's sovereignty and gives Israel a free hand to tamper with its security, geography, politics and future existence. Therefore, we will treat this decision as if it does not exist".
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The statement said Shiite ministers walked out of the cabinet session before the decision was reached. Hezbollah described the move as "an expression of rejection" of the government's decision and "the decision to subject Lebanon to American tutelage and Israeli occupation".
The group said it remained ready to discuss a broader national security strategy, but not under Israeli fire.
"We are open to dialogue, ending the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, liberating its land, releasing prisoners, working to build the state, and rebuilding what was destroyed by the brutal aggression," the group said, calling on its supporters to remain patient.
The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons – unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power before a devastating war with Israel last year.
The cabinet is scheduled to meet again on Thursday to continue discussions on US proposals to disarm Hezbollah within a specific time frame.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)
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