Cabinet, Mechanism to meet this week over Hezbollah disarmament
Cabinet will meet on Thursday to discuss the army's progress in disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani River.
The ceasefire monitoring committee -- comprising Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France and U.N. peacekeepers -- is also set to meet this week.
The meeting in Naqoura in south Lebanon will not include civilians, as the discussions will mainly focus on military matters.
Under heavy U.S. pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Beirut has committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened after more than a year of hostilities with Israel including two months of open war that ended with the November 2024 ceasefire.
Lebanon's army was expected to complete the disarmament south of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometers from the border with Israel -- by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country.
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem called on Saturday for equipping the Lebanese Army to enable it to protect the country, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar questioned the Lebanese military's effectiveness in disarming Hezbollah and accused the group of rearming.
Source: Naharnet
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