Lebanon, U.S. Explore Israeli Retreat, Hezbollah Disarmament in Talks

(MENAFN) Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam revealed on Monday that discussions took place with US envoy Tom Barrack about coordinating Israel’s pullout from Lebanese land with the disarmament of Hezbollah.

At a press briefing after meeting Barrack—who is in Beirut to collect Lebanon’s formal reply to a US plan aiming to disarm Hezbollah—Salam confirmed that “limiting weapons to the state and extending state authority” has been a longstanding Lebanese consensus, dating back to the 1989 Taif Agreement that ended the nation’s 15-year civil war.

“Hezbollah is an inseparable part of the Lebanese state. Its members of parliament voted in favor of the government’s policy statement,” Salam stated, pointing to the current Cabinet’s agenda.

Still, he condemned ongoing Israeli drone strikes and assaults across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, stressing these attacks were met with unanimous rejection in Lebanon. The government is actively pursuing Arab and global diplomatic efforts to halt the violence.

Salam confirmed that his administration discussed with Barrack “interlinked steps between an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.”

In recent years, the US has ramped up pressure on Lebanon to neutralize Hezbollah’s armed capabilities.

On Friday, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem dismissed demands for the group to give up its weapons, insisting that this would only be entertained “after the end of Israeli aggression.”

Salam added that the government has pushed to reactivate the committee responsible for managing the ceasefire and urged full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which in 2006 set up a truce and buffer zone between Israel and Hezbollah.

He also noted that Barrack was handed a response document from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, which incorporated feedback from the presidency, Salam himself, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Barrack reportedly presented a plan proposing enforcement mechanisms for the ceasefire with Israel, including provisions to restrict arms, initially focusing on southern Lebanon.

“The state alone holds the authority to decide on war and peace,” Salam emphasized.

A senior Lebanese official, speaking anonymously to media on July 2, said Barrack’s initial five-page proposal—first introduced in June—centers on three key pillars.

The first pillar addresses disarmament and the exclusive possession of weapons by the state.
The second focuses on financial and economic reforms, strengthening border controls, customs oversight, and tightening regulations on public crossings and facilities. The third aims to restore relations with neighboring Syria through border demarcation, expanded trade, and enhanced political coordination.

Cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah erupted into full-scale conflict in September 2024. Despite a ceasefire reached in November, Israeli forces have conducted almost daily strikes in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials report nearly 3,000 violations of the ceasefire by Israel since then, resulting in at least 232 deaths and over 530 injuries.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by January 26, but the deadline was postponed to February 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply.

Israel continues to maintain military presence at five border outposts.

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