BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday said that his government is intensifying its efforts to confine weapons solely to state institutions and to extend its authority across all areas of the country as part of a broader push to advance the implementation of a ceasefire.
Salam’s comments come as Lebanese officials are drafting a response to Washington’s proposal to disarm Hezbollah, which was presented by the US envoy to Syria and Lebanon, Tom Barrack, during a visit to Beirut last month.
The proposal centers on achieving full disarmament by the end of the year, strengthening Lebanese-Syrian relations, implementing financial reforms, and establishing a UN-supervised mechanism to secure the release of prisoners held by Israel during the recent war on Hezbollah.
Barrack is scheduled to visit Beirut on Monday to discuss the response.
During his address to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, Salam confirmed control over Rafik Hariri International Airport and its access roads as part of security measures aimed at combating smuggling and enhancing public safety.
However, he added that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory is integral to the country’s stability, emphasizing Lebanon’s efforts to intensify political and diplomatic pressure to enforce Resolution 1701, secure the return of displaced citizens to their villages, and advance the reconstruction of areas devastated by last year’s war with Israel.
To date, a $250 million loan has been secured from the World Bank to fund the immediate reconstruction phase, pending parliamentary approval, said Salam.
In parallel, Lebanon is partnering with UN agencies to implement over $350 million worth of projects in the south — spanning education, health, shelter, and food security — as part of a four-year support plan.
Salam said that Lebanon will also host an international reconstruction conference in the coming months to mobilize support under the leadership of the government.
“Reconstruction is not solely a matter of engineering or finance, but a comprehensive political, economic, and social process,” he said.
“The cumulative crises facing Lebanon leave no room for delay or denial. True salvation requires meaningful reform that builds a modern state, one that restores the trust of its citizens and earns the confidence of the international community.”
Salam highlighted the role of regional countries in supporting Lebanon’s reconstruction, describing President Joseph Aoun’s visits to Arab states as “concrete steps toward revitalizing Lebanon’s relations with its Arab neighbors and reasserting its role within the framework of regional cooperation.”
He added: “The region is undergoing a historic transformation, and Lebanon cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. There can be no progress outside the Arab fold, and no future without a partnership founded on mutual respect and shared interests.”
The prime minister also noted the direct coordination with Syria to reinforce border security, curb smuggling activities, and ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees.
“We look forward to meaningful contributions that will help restore what has been lost and strengthen the country’s path to recovery.”
A tripartite committee composed of representatives from the offices of Salam, Aoun, and Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri recently held a series of meetings to draft a preliminary framework to serve as the executive response to the US disarmament proposal.
A political source familiar with the committee’s discussions told Arab News: “The atmosphere is constructive, and a preliminary draft of Lebanon’s response will be finalized by Monday, ahead of US envoy Barrack’s arrival in Beirut.”
The source said that Berri is tasked with communicating Hezbollah’s stance on the US demands.
“It is unlikely that Lebanon’s response will be any less stubborn than Israel’s. Lebanon cannot be expected to make all the compromises, while Israel ignores every ceasefire agreement,” the source said.
This includes Israel’s failure to withdraw from the five key Lebanese points it occupies, its daily attacks on southern and northern Lebanon, and refusal to release prisoners.
According to sources, Hezbollah refuses to be bound by any timeframe to disarm.
“It views Lebanon’s current treatment as a form of imposed guardianship, especially while Israel continues to pose an existential threat. The US is required to provide written guarantees of Israel’s full commitment to the agreement,” sources said.
Hezbollah confirmed that it has handed over the area south of the Litani River to the Lebanese Army, which then seized hundreds of weapons depots.
However, the situation regarding weapons north of the river is subject to different conditions, which the military group said is being handled through internal dialogue that began with Aoun several months ago.
Mohieddine Al-Shahimi, a professor of international law, told Arab News that the US proposal to Lebanon is nothing new.
“US envoy Barrack is simply laying out a roadmap for Lebanon to implement all the international resolutions it has previously failed to carry out, starting with the Taif accord and extending to the ceasefire agreement.”
The agreement, brokered by the US and France, aims to implement Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament, exclusive control of weapons by the state, deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, and the restoration of full Lebanese sovereignty over its territory.
“The agreement is being implemented gradually and depends on the state’s efforts, placing full responsibility on its shoulders. Only after this will Israel fulfill its obligations under the agreement,” Al-Shahimi said.
Al-Shahimi believes that Hezbollah is deliberately stalling.
“The party is waiting to see how American-Iranian relations unfold, while ignoring that Israel has grown more aggressive, and that Syria is very different from what it once was. Hezbollah is creating false hopes of guarantees. This strategy puts Lebanon dangerously close to the edge and plays directly into Iran’s hands.”
The Iran-backed group has been severely weakened by its war with Israel last year, with more than 70 percent of its military arsenal destroyed and many of its front-line fighters killed.
“Hezbollah knows that the situation has changed both locally and internationally, and its old tactics no longer work,” said Al-Shahimi.
“Iran, in turn, is draining Hezbollah, as it created the weapons to defend its own interests, but it does not see itself as responsible for defending Hezbollah. Perhaps Hezbollah, through its deliberate denial, is trying to gain internal leverage.”
Hezbollah has accused Israel of violating the Nov. 27 truce 3,799 times, including 1,916 airspace breaches and 112 maritime violations, resulting in 159 deaths and 433 injuries.
