Lebanon to respond to US demands on Hezbollah disarmament in coming days

Yahoo

5 days ago

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will be responsible for reaching an agreement with Hezbollah, given his strong ties with the organization.
Lebanon is expected to deliver on Monday a response to a recent United States document of demands, including, among other things, the disarmament of the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Additionally, calls within Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah have been intensifying, along with growing concern that if the current efforts fail, Israeli strikes in the area may increase and potentially lead to another round of fighting.
US envoy Thomas Barrack delivered his country's document of demands during his most recent visit to Lebanon last month.
In addition to demands regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah, the US also called for the advancement of economic reforms in Lebanon, as well as the regulation of Lebanon-Syria relations, including the demarcation and supervision of the border between the two countries and the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
In recent days, discussions among Lebanon's leadership have accelerated to formulate a unified response to the Americans. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will be responsible for reaching an agreement with Hezbollah, given his strong ties with the organization.
According to Saudi channelAl-Sharq, part of the clause concerning Hezbollah's disarmament includes Israel's withdrawal from one of the five points it controls in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah handing over its weapons located in the area between the Litani River and the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon.
After that, Israel will withdraw from another point, while in parallel, Hezbollah would surrender its weapons arsenal in Beirut, including the Dahiya district.
Another report by the Saudi Al-Hadath channel claimed that Hezbollah never explicitly stated it would give up its weapons, as it views the US document as a surrender agreement.
However, sources noted that Lebanese officials agree that organizations should no longer hold weapons outside the control of the state, and the country will not be dragged into further destruction by any party.
The report also said that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked Hezbollah about a month ago to hand over its missiles to the Lebanese army, but Hezbollah has not yet responded.
According to Lebanon's Al-Jadeed channel, Hezbollah has submitted its response to the demands and maintains its commitment to the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, emphasizing that Israel must implement that agreement.
The report also stated that Hezbollah is only willing to discuss disarmament within the framework of a national defense strategy or as part of an internal Lebanese dialogue.
'The hope of Lebanon is awakening!' US envoy Barak wrote on X/Twitter.
'The opportunity is now. This is a historic moment to supersede the strained confessionalism of the past and finally fulfill Lebanon's true promise of the hope of 'One country, one people, one army.' As President Donald Trump has consistently shared with the world, "Lebanon is a great place, with great people. Let's make Lebanon Great again.'
The Muslim world marked Ashura on Saturday, a day of special importance for Shiites.
Since the beginning of the month, religious ceremonies have been held in Beirut's Dahiya district in preparation for the day, and on some days, speeches by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem were broadcast on large screens at the main event in Dahiya.
In his speeches, Qassem addressed the pressures on his organization to disarm, claiming the weapons are for the defense of Lebanon. Therefore, he said, only if Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and halts its attacks there should an internal Lebanese discussion on Hezbollah disarmament even be considered.
He also repeatedly urged Lebanese leaders to pressure the international community to force Israel to uphold the ceasefire.
'Demand an end to aggression, not the surrender of the Lebanese,' he declared in his speech.