This came in a speech delivered from the Ministry of Defense on the occasion of Army Day, Thursday, as reported by the official Lebanese presidency page on ‘X’. Aoun revealed a set of demands and initiatives he will soon present to the Cabinet, foremost among them is a US-supported plan aimed at ending military divisions within Lebanon and strengthening state authority over its entire territory.
The Lebanese president explained that Washington offered Lebanon a draft of ideas concerning the reorganization of the security scene in southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese leadership has made ‘substantial amendments’ to it, preparing to present it officially at the beginning of next week within the constitutional frameworks.
Aoun pointed out that the initiatives he will present to the Cabinet include an immediate cessation of Israeli attacks, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, the handing over of Hezbollah’s weapons, and direct international support for the Lebanese army valued at one billion dollars annually for ten years, totaling ten billion dollars during that period.
He also clarified that the initiatives include the demarcation of land and sea borders with Syria with American, French, and Saudi assistance, and the tightening of measures to combat smuggling and drug trafficking. The president considered that these items form the basic pillars of a Lebanese memorandum aimed at blocking Israeli aggression and enhancing state sovereignty.
Joseph Aoun’s statements come amid intensified US efforts, within ongoing discussions for six weeks, aimed at formulating a roadmap leading to the complete disarmament of Hezbollah, in exchange for halting Israeli raids and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from five border points in southern Lebanon. Western media indicate that Washington is pushing for an official Cabinet decision committing to the disarmament of Hezbollah’s arsenal as a prerequisite for resuming negotiations on a ceasefire.
Despite the party’s declared refusal to fully surrender its weapons, there are reports of reducing its arsenal in exchange for parallel Israeli commitments, including halting air raids and withdrawing forces from occupied Lebanese territories.
