As Lebanon says it will present plan for disarming Hezbollah, northern leaders protest discussion of withdrawing IDF troops from Lebanon

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said on Tuesday that the Lebanese government will announce a plan to convince the Hezbollah terror group to disarm on August 31. 

Barrack said the Lebanese plan did not mean the government was preparing to fight Hezbollah, which has expressed its opposition to disarmament. 

“The Lebanese army and the government are not talking about going to war. They are talking about how to convince Hezbollah to give up those arms,” Barrack said. 

The U.S. envoy also said that Israel would present a counterproposal after viewing Lebanon’s plan. 

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his willingness to withdraw IDF units from southern Lebanon if the Lebanese Armed Forces acted to disarm the Shia terror organization. 

“If the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the US-led security mechanism,” Netanyahu said in his statement on Monday. 

He also indicated Israel’s willingness to “support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations.” 

However, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said his group is unwilling to disarm, and claimed that Israel must withdraw completely from Lebanon before his group would consider discussing national security. 

He warned the Lebanese government against trying to disarm it by force, saying, “You will face our wrath if you proceed.” 

On Tuesday, leaders of northern Israeli communities expressed their disapproval of Netanyahu’s announcement. 

Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chairman of the Confrontation Line Forum, said it is not the right time to discuss an IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon. 

“This is not the time to announce a withdrawal or policy shift,” Davidovich said. “Residents of the confrontation line only recently began returning home, and many are still debating whether it’s safe. Such a premature declaration risks undermining the stability being built step by step and weakening residents’ sense of security. Now is the time to strengthen the border and the communities – not inject new uncertainty.” 

Avichai Stern, mayor of the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, which has suffered repeated rocket and mortar attacks from Hezbollah since 2006, accused Netanyahu of forgetting the massacres of Oct. 7. 

“Is Israel once again embracing the same concept that cost the lives of thousands of citizens and soldiers?” Stern asked. “It seems Israel has forgotten Oct. 7, but our enemies have not abandoned their plan to conquer the Galilee and slaughter its residents, from infants to the elderly.” 

Stern said that around 8,000 residents of Kiryat Shmona have not returned to their homes over uncertainty regarding the security situation. 

After meeting with Netanyahu on Sunday, Barrack traveled to Beirut for meetings with Lebanese President Josef Aoun. Barrack told Aoun that Israel does not want to occupy southern Lebanon. 

“What Israel is saying is they do not want to occupy Lebanon and would be happy to withdraw from Lebanon, as soon as we see what the plans are for dismantling Hezbollah,” Barrack said in comments after his meeting with Aoun. 

Deputy Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus, who accompanied Barrack on the trip, said that Israel is willing to take reciprocal steps based on Lebanese action. 

“Israel is ready to act step by step,” Ortagus said. “It's small steps with the Lebanese government. Every step the Lebanese government takes, we will encourage the Israeli government to act in the same way.” 

Israel has indicated that if the Lebanese government fails to disarm Hezbollah, the IDF will continue strikes throughout Lebanon to remove the threat of Hezbollah attacks. 

An Israeli official told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya television on Tuesday that in the absence of real moves by Lebanon, Israel will “continue its attacks to disarm Hezbollah.” 

“The Lebanese Army and government must act firmly against Hezbollah,” the Israeli official said. “We will not bow to pressures and we will launch a broad attack on all of Lebanon if needed.” 

The official said that Hezbollah “must remember what happened to its leadership” and not test Israel.