Lebanon likely to receive official US response today

Lebanon will likely today receive the U.S. response to its latest proposals regarding U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper, diplomatic sources told Al-Jadeed TV.

Barrack had warned Sunday that “the credibility of Lebanon’s government rests on its ability to match principle with practice.”

“As its leaders have said repeatedly, it is critical that ‘the state has a monopoly on arms.’ As long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice. The government and Hezbollah need to fully commit and act now in order to not consign the Lebanese people to the stumbling status quo,” Barrack added.

Washington is ramping up pressure on Lebanon to swiftly issue a formal cabinet decision committing to disarm Hezbollah before talks can resume on a halt to Israel's military operations in Lebanon, five sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

Hezbollah's main ally, Speaker Nabih Berri, had asked the U.S. to ensure that Israel halt its strikes as a first step, in order to fully implement the ceasefire agreed last year that ended months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, according to four of the sources.

Israel rejected Berri's proposal late last week, the four sources said. The U.S. then began insisting that a cabinet vote take place imminently, all the sources said.