Lebanon Awaits Hezbollah Response to US Demands
Sources familiar with the discussions told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah has cautiously opened the door to debating the offer, a subject long considered taboo, though the group has yet to make its position clear.
The sources said Hezbollah is engaged in 'difficult internal deliberations,' in parallel with talks held by a committee made up of representatives from President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The committee is reviewing the language of the draft Lebanese response.
Those close to the process say the committee is working to formulate language that aligns with the Lebanese constitution, and that the response will emphasize sequencing and priority-setting for implementing any eventual agreement.
Although Hezbollah has pulled its forces north of the Litani River, the group argues that Israel has not upheld a ceasefire. Its preliminary reaction to the US proposal stressed the need for 'credible guarantees' before it can endorse any deal.
Lebanese army officials are said to be preparing a technical document outlining a step-by-step roadmap, detailing what Lebanon can deliver if Israel withdraws, halts its airstrikes, and releases Hezbollah-affiliated detainees.
On the political level, leaders are seeking international guarantees that would enable a phased weapons handover, beginning with heavy weaponry and eventually including medium arms, the sources said.
Two sources told Reuters that Lebanese officials are preparing a formal response to the US proposal, delivered by Thomas Barrack, US Ambassador to Türkİye and Special Envoy for Syria, during a recent visit to Beirut.
The document reportedly lays out a phased disarmament process under which Hezbollah would surrender its weapons across Lebanon in return for a full Israeli pullback from southern areas it currently occupies.
The handover would be completed by November or by the end of the year at the latest, the sources said.
They added that the proposal promises an end to Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah members and would unlock reconstruction funds for areas destroyed by Israeli bombardment last year.
The US has previously stated it would not support Lebanon's reconstruction unless Hezbollah disarms. According to the sources, the plan also includes a UN-monitored mechanism to ensure Israel releases Hezbollah-linked prisoners.
Barrack is said to have urged Lebanese officials to seize what he described as a 'rare opportunity' to resolve the crisis.
A third source told Reuters that Hezbollah has not rejected cooperation with the committee outright and has signaled some willingness to engage — though it has not yet committed to surrendering its weapons.
Calls are growing within Lebanon to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which mandates a ceasefire and the disarmament of non-state actors in the south.
The Kataeb Party, following its weekly political bureau meeting, reiterated that monopolizing arms must end, calling it a 'national priority that cannot be delayed or subject to political maneuvering.'
The party said Hezbollah's recent statements were provocative and undermined the will of the Lebanese people and the authority of the state.
Lebanese Forces lawmaker Fadi Karam said on Tuesday that Lebanon must prove it is serious in its response to the US proposal aimed at resolving the Hezbollah-Israel standoff, warning that the state can no longer afford delays on the issue of illegal arms.
Speaking in a radio interview, Karam said: 'We have to wait and see whether the state is ready to present a serious proposal within clear and short deadlines.'
He added: 'It's clear that officials realize they can no longer ignore this matter or afford the luxury of postponement. We are all being tested today on our ability to resolve the issue of illegal weapons, whether they belong to Lebanese groups or others.'
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