President Elias Hrawi's Syrian-backed government has issued a 20-day ultimatum to all "armed elements" to surrender their weapons.
In a statement released late Tuesday the government also empowered the army and police to raid houses to confiscate "light weapons," including automatic rifles and pistols.Most of the warring Muslim and Christian militias that ravaged the country during the 1975-1990 civil war have either surrendered or shipped abroad their machine guns, howitzers, rocket launchers and armored vehicles.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah, or Party of God, has kept its weapons, claiming they are necessary in its fight against Israel.
Hezbollah did not comment on the government move but was expected to refuse to hand over weapons as long as Israel maintains its 440-square mile "security zone" in southern Lebanon.
The government decision could cause a confrontation with the Palestine Liberation Organization, which handed over its heavy weapons last July but still has a lightly armed guerilla force of 3,000.