The American ambassador to Turkey and the special envoy of President Donald Trump in the Syrian file, Tom Barak, expressed today, Monday, his “great satisfaction” for the Lebanese government to respond to an American proposal related to the disarmament of Hezbollah, who recently confirmed his adherence to his weapons.
Barak said in Beirut after the meeting of the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun: “The response that the Lebanese government in a short time was impressive, and I am very satisfied with it.”
President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri discussed these American proposals.
Meanwhile, Israel launched raids on sites in Lebanon yesterday evening, which said it targeted military sites for Hezbollah, hours after the party’s Secretary -General Naim Qassem announced his refusal to hand over weapons. Israel has recently intensified its targeting to southern Lebanon, by bombing of Hezbollah’s military sites, or pursuing its members, killing one person and wounding six others on Saturday. Observers believe that these operations, which coincided with Barak’s visit to Beirut, carry messages to the Lebanese state and the five -year committee to monitor the ceasefire, that Israel may resume its military operations if the Lebanese state fails to disarm Hezbollah.
Despite the validity of the ceasefire on November 27, the Israeli operations did not stop, and their acceleration with the arrival of the American envoy reflects pressure from Israel and the American administration on Lebanon to accelerate the disarmament of the party. Barak said yesterday: “Lebanon wakes up with a new hope! The opportunity is now available.” He added: “It is a historic moment to overcome previous sectarian tensions, and to achieve the true promise of Lebanon in a unified country, one people, and one army.” He concluded: “As the American President says: Lebanon is a great place with a great people, so let us make Lebanon great again.”
