The United States special envoy to Lebanon, Tom Barrack, announced that Lebanon has agreed to present a plan aimed at persuading Hezbollah to disarm. In response, Israel will submit a corresponding framework for its military withdrawal.
According to Barrack, the plan will not involve military coercion but will focus on efforts to encourage Hezbollah to surrender its weapons.
“The Lebanese army and government are not talking about going to war. They are talking about how to convince Hezbollah to give up those arms,” Barrack said after talks with President Joseph Aoun in Beirut.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized that Lebanon has embarked on an irreversible path to place all weapons under state control.
The army is due to present a comprehensive plan by next week. Earlier this month, Lebanon’s cabinet approved the “objectives” of a US proposal for “ensuring that the possession of weapons is restricted solely to the state,” despite Hezbollah rejecting the decision and calling it a “march in humiliation” and surrender to Israel and the US.
US envoy Morgan Ortagus stressed that Lebanese authorities must put into “action” their decision to disarm Hezbollah. “Every step that the Lebanese government takes, we will encourage the Israeli government to make the same step,” she added.
However, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has refused to give up the group’s weapons, criticizing the government’s decision and urging officials to reverse it. “Pulling back would be a virtue,” he said, emphasizing that Lebanon’s sovereignty can only be achieved by ending Israeli “aggression.”
The proposal attributed to US envoy Tom Barrack outlines a four-phase plan requiring Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and Israel to withdraw from contested zones.
The deal includes border demarcation, military restructuring, and economic support, aiming to end hostilities by late 2025.
According to the plan, Israel would halt all military activity on land, at sea, and in the air during the first phase, spanning 90 to 120 days.
Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, including underground tunnels and operational sites, would become accessible, and the US and France would apply pressure on Israel to fully implement the memorandum.
Barrack highlighted the need to address the economic impact on tens of thousands of Hezbollah fighters and their families, many of whom rely on Iranian funding.
“If we’re asking a portion of the Lebanese community to give up their livelihood – because when we say disarm Hezbollah, we’re talking about 40,000 people being paid by Iran – you can’t just take their weapons and say, ‘Good luck, go plant olive trees’.
We have to help them,” he said. Gulf states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are prepared to support Lebanon’s economy, particularly in the south, a Hezbollah stronghold, as part of an initiative to provide alternatives to Hezbollah.
However, controversy surrounds Barrack’s comments during a press conference, where he threatened to end the session if the Lebanese press behaved in a way he described as uncivilized and “animalistic.”
Lebanese journalists and columnists have accused him of racism, with one describing his mannerism as that of a “19th-century colonial commissioner.” The Lebanese presidency’s office later released a statement regretting Barrack’s remarks, reiterating its appreciation for journalists and media representatives.
The situation remains complex, with Israel signalling it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon if Lebanon’s armed forces took action to disarm Hezbollah.
Barrack described this development as “historic,” saying, “What Israel has now said is: we don’t want to occupy Lebanon. We’re happy to withdraw from Lebanon, and we will meet those withdrawal expectations with our plan as soon as we see what is the plan to actually disarm Hezbollah.”
Ireport247news noted that Israel’s expansion of its presence in Lebanon is the main hurdle hampering attempts to persuade Hezbollah to give up its arms.
The ceasefire agreement’s requirement for Hezbollah to disarm south of the Litani River, rather than in the whole country, is an additional impediment.