Salam Proposes 'Step-by-Step' Plan for Israeli Withdrawal and Hezbollah Disarmament
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called for a “clear and parallel” timetable for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah, during a dinner hosted in his honor by Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Muawad in Washington, D.C., attended by U.S. officials, Arab ambassadors, and international figures.
Salam stressed that Lebanon has firmly decided to restrict weapons to state control in all areas, not only south of the Litani River, and rejects any decisions regarding war and peace outside its constitutional institutions.
He warned against reducing the trilateral framework between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States to merely a mechanism for conflict management, calling instead for the establishment of a reliable verification mechanism to ensure compliance with the agreement, and emphasizing that Lebanon relies on U.S. leadership to make it successful.
Earlier, during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Salam proposed an approach based on “step for step,” whereby the Lebanese army would enter an area to carry out disarmament operations, simultaneously with Israel’s withdrawal from another area, which the Lebanese army would also enter to execute the mission, thereby ensuring that both tracks proceed in tandem and neither advances ahead of the other.
Meanwhile, Salam stressed the necessity of avoiding any security vacuum in the south after the end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). He discussed various approaches with U.S. officials to address this issue, amid American pledges to support Lebanon and assist in establishing an international mechanism, although the nature and powers of such a force remain unclear. Reports indicate that Washington is awaiting Beirut to present its own vision for the upcoming international force.
For his part, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated today that Israel’s delay in implementing the framework agreement continues to fuel tensions in the south and prevents the state from extending its authority over its entire territory. During a meeting in Beirut with U.S. Congress members Darren Soto and Josh Gottheimer and their accompanying delegation, Aoun said that Lebanon relies on the United States to pressure Israel to implement the agreement, noting that Beirut is committed to its implementation, while Israel continues to refrain from adhering to its provisions. He called for an end to bombing, shelling, and destruction in southern villages occupied by Israel.
