The first phase of the plan to confiscate weapons south of the Litani River will end in a "few days," Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a statement on Saturday.
A US-backed ceasefire agreed in November 2024 required the disarmament of Hezbollah, beginning in areas south of the river, the area adjacent to Israel.
The committee overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, known as the “mechanism,” convened on Friday its 15th meeting in Naqoura, the second to include civilian representatives, with renewed focus on the return of residents to their homes on both sides of the border.
The statement issued after the meeting highlighted the importance of the return of residents on both sides of the border to their homes, and said Lebanese and Israeli representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continue efforts to support stability and work toward a permanent halt to hostilities, according to the US Embassy in Beirut.
Earlier this month, two civilian representatives, one Lebanese and one Israeli, joined the committee’s meetings in the first direct talks between the two countries in decades. The committee is led by the United States and includes representatives from France and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday the US hoped talks between Lebanese authorities and Israel would lead to a strong Lebanese government and see Hezbollah disarmed.
"We are hopeful that talks between Lebanese authorities and Israelis will create outlines and a way forward that prevents further conflict," Rubio told a press conference.
Lebanon is facing mounting pressure from the United States and Israel to accelerate the disarmament of Hezbollah under a plan approved by the government as part of implementing the ceasefire agreement.
The Lebanese army is expected to complete the first phase of the plan in the border area south of the Litani River by the end of the year.
