US links further Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon to Hezbollah disarmament

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States has placed Hezbollah’s weapons at the center of the diplomatic track between Lebanon and Israel, making clear that the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in southern Lebanon alone will not be sufficient to advance further Israeli withdrawal. Beirut, meanwhile, is calling for the June Framework Agreement to be implemented on the basis of reciprocity and a phased approach, with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressing the need for concrete steps toward both Israeli withdrawal and state control over weapons. A US source told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with Salam in Washington on Monday was positive but included a direct message urging the Lebanese government to accelerate implementation of its commitments. According to the source, Rubio told Salam that, “the Trilateral Framework represents the only path to achieving lasting peace between Lebanon and Israel.” The US position places Hezbollah’s disarmament among the framework’s central commitments that Lebanon is expected to implement. The US State Department said Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s support for Lebanon as it implements the framework and for efforts to extend state authority. Washington has also linked the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons to further Israeli withdrawal. According to the US source cited by Al Arabiya/Al Hadath, Rubio made clear that deploying the LAF in southern Lebanon would not by itself be sufficient and that Lebanon would need to take concrete steps toward disarmament before additional Israeli withdrawal. Rubio called on the LAF to establish full state control over southern Lebanon and prevent an armed presence by Hezbollah, while reaffirming US support for a sovereign Lebanese state free from what Washington describes as the influence of Hezbollah and Iran. The US position places pressure on the Lebanese government to translate state authority over weapons into concrete measures rather than limiting the process to the deployment of the LAF in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw. Salam, meanwhile, has called for implementation of the framework according to the principle of reciprocity. Following his meeting with Rubio, his office said he stressed the need to move to the implementation phase and translate “reciprocity and phased implementation” into practical steps and tangible results. According to the Lebanese government, those steps should lead to the restoration of Lebanon’s full sovereignty, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and exclusive state control over weapons throughout the country. Salam also called for a credible mechanism to monitor implementation and ensure compliance with the commitments. Limited Deployment and Stalled Agreement The current impasse follows the escalation of fighting in Lebanon on 2 March, after the wider regional war began on 28 February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel, while Israel responded with extensive airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon. The fighting subsequently declined after Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement in Washington on 26 June under US mediation. The agreement outlined a process involving the disarmament of non-state armed groups, the expansion of Lebanese state authority and the progressive redeployment of Israeli forces from Lebanon. The agreement’s security annex, published shortly after the signing, specifically linked the process of Israeli redeployment to the disarmament of Hezbollah and called on the Lebanese Army to take operational measures toward that goal. The framework also provides for the deployment of Lebanese forces in designated “pilot zones” as Israeli forces redeploy. The process has so far remained limited, with the LAF expanding its presence in selected areas of southern Lebanon while broader implementation has stalled. Meanwhile, Israel has continued military activity in southern Lebanon, including airstrikes and demolition operations in areas where its forces remain deployed. A new round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations, initially expected in September, has also been postponed until October, according to recent reports.