Overview

• Lebanon’s cabinet has endorsed U.S.-backed disarmament objectives and tasked the army to produce an implementation roadmap by year-end.
• After meeting President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, envoy Tom Barrack urged Israel to halt operations and withdraw as set out in the plan, saying Washington is now discussing Israel’s position.
• The four-phase roadmap conditions Hezbollah handing in heavy weapons by the end of the year on an Israeli halt to ground, air and sea operations and staged withdrawals, with later steps covering prisoner releases and reconstruction funding.
• Hezbollah has refused to disarm and its leader Naim Qassem warned of civil war if the state moves to confront the group, while Israel continues near-daily strikes and maintains five border positions.
• Barrack said he expects progress in the coming weeks and is seeking an economic proposal for post-war rebuilding, as the World Bank puts Lebanon’s 2024 war damage and losses at about $11.1 billion.