Lebanon readies unified response to US Resistance disarmament proposal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
7 Jul 2025 01:43
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Beirut prepares to deliver its official response to a US proposal demanding the Resistance's disarmament, as Hezbollah rejects pressure.

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In this photo, released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets with US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, centre, at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, on June 19, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

Lebanon is finalizing its official response to a United States proposal calling for the disarmament of the Resistance, but has yet to complete its internal deliberations, informed sources told Al Mayadeen on Sunday.

The response, expected to be delivered to US envoy Tom Barrack on Monday, will reflect a unified national stance shaped by ongoing consultations among top political leaders.

According to the sources, Lebanon’s reply will reiterate the principle of exclusive state control over arms, in line with the Lebanese Constitution and the 1989 Taif Agreement. This principle, they noted, is already enshrined in President Joseph Aoun’s inauguration speech and the policy statement of the current government, of which Hezbollah is a member.

Lebanon will emphasize Israeli violations of ceasefire agreement

Lebanon will also affirm its commitment to the existing ceasefire agreement with “Israel,” while emphasizing that it is the Israeli side that has repeatedly violated the terms through continuous attacks and illegal occupation of Lebanese territory. Beirut is expected to demand an end to Israeli aggressions, full withdrawal from occupied border points, and the implementation of all ceasefire provisions.

The developments come on the eve of Barrack’s return to Beirut for a two-day visit aimed at securing answers on the six-page US roadmap he delivered on June 19. The proposal calls for the disarmament of all non-state actors, particularly the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah, in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from the remaining five military posts in southern Lebanon, UN-supervised prisoner exchanges, and reconstruction assistance.

The roadmap also addresses other contentious issues, including border demarcation with Syria, management of Syrian refugee returns, and implementation of financial reforms.

Calls for unity amid deep stakes

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday that efforts are underway to formulate a unified national response among the country’s three top offices, including the president, prime minister, and speaker. He noted that Hezbollah’s position will be taken into account in the final draft.

Demands for disarmament are 'ridiculous': Sheikh Qassem

For its part, Hezbollah has firmly rejected the notion of disarming under current conditions. Speaking on Sunday during Ashura commemorations, Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem dismissed the US-Israeli disarmament demands as “ridiculous.”

“They are saying: either surrender or die. This is an absurd equation that we have already overcome,” Sheikh Qassem stressed.

“There is no room for surrender in our ranks—we are the people of the battlefield,” he affirmed.

Qassem emphasized that the Resistance’s weapons, particularly its missile capabilities, are the core of Lebanon’s defense strategy. He also reiterated Hezbollah’s willingness to contribute to state-building, while reaffirming its commitment to resisting Israeli aggression.

“We are as ready to build the state as we are to fight,” he declared. “We will never abandon our rights, no matter the cost.”