Beirut [Lebanon], August 27: Lebanon has agreed to present a plan aimed at persuading Hezbollah to disarm, and Israel will submit a corresponding framework for its military withdrawal, United States envoy Tom Barrack has said, as the Lebanese armed group has repeatedly made clear it has no intention of doing so while Israel continues its attacks on the country and occupies parts of the south.
Speaking on Tuesday after talks with President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, Barrack said the plan would not involve military coercion but would 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.
While no formal proposals have been exchanged, Barrack said verbal commitments from both sides suggested a narrowing path towards implementation.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon had embarked on an irreversible path to place all weapons under state control, with the army 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.
Speaking to journalists at Lebanon's presidential palace in Baabda on Tuesday, US envoy Morgan Ortagus said 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.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has refused to give up the group's weapons. In a speech aired on Monday, Qassem criticised the government's decision to disarm the group and urged officials to reverse it, saying pulling back "would be a virtue".
The armed group has long been the sole resistance to Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
Source: Qatar Tribune
