Netanyahu supports Hezbollah disarmament plan backed by US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Lebanon’s landmark approval of a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah, calling it a “significant step” and pledging Israel’s support for a future built on mutual security and stability.

In a statement released Monday, Netanyahu welcomed the Lebanese Cabinet’s August 7 vote to authorize the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to begin disarming Hezbollah and all other non-state armed groups by the end of 2025.

“If the Lebanese Armed Forces take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures,” Netanyahu said. These would include a phased reduction of IDF forces in coordination with a U.S.-led security mechanism. “Now is the time for both Israel and Lebanon to move forward in a spirit of cooperation.”

The statement followed high-level meetings in Israel between Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, who has been mediating between Beirut and Jerusalem. Barrack met with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz before traveling to Lebanon, where he met President Joseph Aoun.

In Beirut, Barrack lauded Lebanon’s initiative, stating, “The Lebanese government has done their part. Now what we need is Israel to comply with that equal handshake.” The disarmament plan signals a dramatic turn toward reclaiming national sovereignty from Hezbollah an Iran-backed terror group that has operated for decades as a “state within a state.”

Not surprisingly, Hezbollah’s leadership has rejected the plan outright. Secretary-General Naim Qassem called the proposal “unacceptable,” prompting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to issue a sharp rebuke. “This direct or indirect threat of civil war is shameful. No Lebanese wants to go back to that,” Salam warned, signaling his government’s commitment to the plan.

Israel, for its part, remains cautiously optimistic. While Netanyahu has reiterated that Israeli operations in Southern Lebanon are in full compliance with the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, Defense Minister Katz confirmed that IDF units will maintain five strategic positions to protect northern Israeli communities regardless of future talks.

“The only reason our forces are there is to stop Hezbollah’s rearmament,” Netanyahu emphasized on August 17. “Every violation, every weapons transfer, we will stop just as the ceasefire agreement allows.”

The Israeli government is watching closely to see if Lebanon can deliver on its bold commitment. Should Beirut follow through, the region could see a historic turning point: a disarmed Hezbollah and a demilitarized south laying the groundwork for an era of mutual stability.

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