On Saturday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a statement indicating that the initial stage of a plan to remove weapons from the Hezbollah terrorist organization in areas south of the Litani River is set to finish within "a few days."
Persistent Border Tensions
This announcement comes as hostilities persist along Lebanon's eastern frontier. Israel has repeatedly charged Hezbollah with disregarding demands to lay down its arms and breaching the terms of a ceasefire established in November 2024.
Since the truce, Israeli forces have continued to conduct strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. Concurrently, Israeli officials have publicly called on Lebanese authorities to uphold their commitment under the agreement to disarm the group, cautioning that Israel will take action "as necessary" if Lebanon fails to move against the Iran-backed proxy.
International Diplomatic Push
In a related development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope on Friday that ongoing discussions between Lebanese and Israeli officials would pave the way for a more robust Lebanese government and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah.
"We are hopeful that talks between Lebanese authorities and Israelis will create outlines and a way forward that prevents further conflict," Rubio stated during a press conference.
Preceding this, representatives from France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States met with the head of the Lebanese army in Paris. The talks aimed to finalize a detailed roadmap to establish a functional mechanism for Hezbollah's disarmament.
The US-supported ceasefire pact from November 2024 explicitly mandates the disarmament of Hezbollah, starting in the regions south of the Litani River, which border Israel.
