U.S. Envoy Barrack Presses Beirut on Hezbollah Disarmament Amid Israeli Pledge of Support

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) -– U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace on Tuesday for high-stakes talks on Hezbollah’s future, warning that Lebanon risks sliding back into civil conflict unless progress is made on disarmament.

Barrack, joined by State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, confirmed that Beirut plans to unveil by August 31 a formal proposal for disarming Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that has long resisted giving up its arsenal. “No one wants to see a new civil war erupt in Lebanon,” Barrack said, urging swift action.

The visit followed Barrack’s meetings in Israel earlier this week with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel was prepared to take “reciprocal measures” if the Lebanese Armed Forces move decisively to disarm Hezbollah. “If Lebanon takes the necessary steps, Israel will engage in a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the U.S.-led security mechanism,” Netanyahu’s office stated.

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire of November 2024 remains the framework for current negotiations, obliging Hezbollah fighters to retreat north of the Litani River while Israel gradually withdraws from Lebanese territory. However, Israel has maintained five security outposts in the south and carried out over 500 airstrikes against Hezbollah positions, citing violations of the truce.

Hezbollah, weakened but defiant after more than a year of cross-border fighting, continues to reject disarmament. Deputy leader Naim Qassem insisted Monday that the group’s weapons remain “non-negotiable” until Israel fully complies with the ceasefire. The statement came just hours after an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed a Hezbollah operative accused of rebuilding military infrastructure.

Despite the setbacks, Lebanon’s cabinet this month approved U.S. proposals for a national disarmament framework by year’s end. Netanyahu praised the move as “a crucial opportunity for Lebanon to reclaim its sovereignty and restore the authority of its state institutions.”

Whether Hezbollah lays down its arms and Israel responds in kind may well define the next phase of the ceasefire and the broader stability of the region.

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