US State Department endorses Netanyahu's stance: withdrawal from Lebanon conditioned on Hezbollah disarmament

The U.S. State Department has provided a formal endorsement of the strategic framework for Lebanon, emphasizing a structured process to restore Lebanese sovereignty. According to the statement issued Friday night, this process includes the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its terrorist infrastructure. Crucially for Jerusalem, the State Department noted that this framework is designed to enable Israel to return to its borders only "after the threat to its citizens is removed." This language serves as a diplomatic confirmation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence that a full withdrawal is contingent on the verifiable elimination of Hezbollah's military capabilities in the border region.

Trilateral Coordination and Aid

To oversee the implementation of these terms, the U.S. announced the formation of a trilateral military coordination group consisting of representatives from Israel, Lebanon, and the United States. This mechanism is intended to allow the parties to coordinate the execution of the agreement directly. Alongside the security framework, Washington committed to a substantial financial package to stabilize the Lebanese state. This includes $100 million in humanitarian aid and over $30 million specifically designated to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), with the stated goal of enabling the LAF to "establish sovereignty more effectively."

Strategic Context

This development follows months of friction regarding the 'Islamabad Agreement' and the broader regional diplomatic framework. While Hezbollah leaders, including Naim Qassem, have recently demanded a time-bound Israeli withdrawal, the State Department's current stance reinforces the security-first approach favored by the Israeli government. By conditioning the withdrawal on disarmament, the U.S. is signaling that the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty cannot occur while Hezbollah maintains its independent military infrastructure. The focus now shifts to the trilateral group's ability to enforce these conditions on the ground, particularly given Hezbollah's historical resistance to disarmament.