US envoy hails Lebanon’s response to Hezbollah disarmament proposals

Hezbollah has rejected disarmament portion Israel continues to onslaught Lebanon, aft US calls for it to springiness up weapons successful 4 months.

A elder United States envoy has praised the Lebanese government’s effect to a US connection aimed astatine disarming Hezbollah amid Israel’s continued subject beingness successful the country.

Thomas Barrack, an advisor to US President Donald Trump who serves arsenic Washington’s ambassador to Turkiye and peculiar envoy for Syria, returned to Beirut connected Monday aft delivering the US connection during a June 19 visit.

The program called for the Shia Lebanese radical Hezbollah to afloat disarm wrong 4 months successful speech for a halt to Israeli aerial strikes and the afloat withdrawal of Israel’s subject from the 5 positions it continues to inhabit successful confederate Lebanon.

“What the authorities gave america was thing spectacular successful a precise abbreviated play of time,” Barrack told reporters connected Monday aft gathering Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. “I’m unbelievably satisfied with the response.”

While Barrack confirmed that helium had received a seven-page reply from the Lebanese side, helium offered nary details connected its contents.

Barrack said that helium believed some Lebanon and Israel were seeking a way toward de-escalation. “Both countries are trying to springiness the aforesaid happening – the conception of a stand-down agreement, of the cessation of hostilities, and a roadworthy to peace.”

The remarks travel arsenic tensions stay precocious arsenic Israel continues to bombard Lebanon contempt agreeing to a ceasefire successful November.

The struggle betwixt Israel and Hezbollah erupted successful October 2023 aft the Lebanese radical attacked Israel successful solidarity with the Palestinian radical Hamas successful Gaza. It spiralled into full-scale struggle by September the pursuing year, sidesplitting much than 4,000 radical – including Hezbollah person Hassan Nasrallah and different elder officials – and displacing astir 1.4 cardinal people, according to Lebanese authorities.

Lebanon’s president and premier curate – some installed earlier this twelvemonth – person promised to fortify the authorities and the army, and said that Hezbollah, agelong viewed arsenic the astir almighty subject unit successful Lebanon, indispensable not beryllium much almighty than the government.

However, Israel has continued to onslaught Lebanon, claiming its operations are aimed astatine preventing Hezbollah from rearming. Lebanese wellness officials accidental astir 250 radical person been killed and much than 600 wounded successful Israeli attacks since the ceasefire.

Hezbollah has not issued a ceremonial effect to the US proposal. However, its leader, Naim Qassem, said connected Sunday that the radical would not disarm portion Israel continued its aggression.

“We cannot beryllium asked to soften our stance oregon laic down arms portion [Israeli] aggression continues,” Qassem told thousands of supporters during Ashura commemorations successful the confederate suburbs of Beirut.

Barrack acknowledged that Hezbollah would request guarantees that it could proceed operating arsenic a governmental unit wrong Lebanon.

But signs of de-escalation were absent connected the ground. Just hours earlier Barrack’s arrival, Israel launched a question of aerial strikes connected confederate and eastbound Lebanon and carried retired a crushed penetration into a borderline village.

Lebanese officials and diplomats said the latest subject enactment appeared to beryllium an effort to summation unit connected Hezbollah up of diplomatic discussions.

On Saturday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that an “Israeli force drone onslaught connected a vehicle” successful the Saf al-Hawa country of confederate Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil killed 1 person and injured 2 others.

Earlier that day, the ministry said a abstracted Israeli drone onslaught wounded 1 idiosyncratic successful the municipality of Shebaa. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported the onslaught deed a location successful the village, which lies on Lebanon’s borderline with Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The ministry said different Israeli drone onslaught targeted the municipality of Chaqra successful Bint Jbeil, wounding 2 people, portion connected Thursday, an Israeli onslaught killed astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic and injured 3 adjacent the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies