US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon are close to reaching understandings regarding a pilot program to disarm Hezbollah, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). The initiative would test Beirut's willingness to take concrete action against the Iran-backed militia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon are close to reaching understandings on a pilot program to disarm Hezbollah, according to journalist Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). The reported initiative would test whether Beirut can take tangible steps against the Iran-backed militia inside Lebanese territory.
The statement comes amid a broader diplomatic push. As The Zioneer has reported, Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed Hezbollah disarmament and the ceasefire with Israel last Friday (June 19). Earlier this week (Monday, June 22), Israel was reported to be weighing a test of Beirut's resolve by allowing the Lebanese Armed Forces to take control of a Hezbollah tunnel site. Thursday's remark suggests the principle of such a pilot program may be advancing at the diplomatic level.
The claim originates from a single journalist's report and has not yet been corroborated by official statements. No timeline or operational details of the proposed pilot were provided.
2 developments
- StrongRubio: Israel-Lebanon peace 'achievable' but 'much work remains'
- DevelopingReport: Lebanon-Israel talks atmosphere improves, US hopes for agreement
- DevelopingRubio spoke to Netanyahu and Lebanon's Aoun overnight to resolve final differences
- DevelopingUS official: Seventh round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome was fruitful
Source and signal
- Open-source intake