Overview

• After meeting President Joseph Aoun in Baabda, U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus said Beirut must turn its disarmament pledge into concrete actions, promising to press Israel to mirror each move.
• Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Israel is ready to reduce its forces in Lebanon gradually if disarmament advances, coordinated through a U.S.-led security mechanism.
• U.S. delegates said the Lebanese Armed Forces are due to present a detailed plan by the end of August targeting the dismantling of Hezbollah’s arsenal by late 2025.
• Hezbollah deputy leader Naïm Qassem restated the group’s refusal to give up its weapons, highlighting a major hurdle for implementation.
• The U.S.-mediated ceasefire envisions only the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in the south, while Israel continues strikes it says hit Hezbollah infrastructure, holds five positions, and a contested UNIFIL mandate renewal is backed by France and Beirut but opposed by the U.S. and Israel.