Saudi, French, and American Efforts to Advance Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Diplomats said that officials from France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States will hold talks with the Lebanese army commander today, Thursday, in Paris with the aim of finalizing a roadmap to activate a mechanism for disarming the Hezbollah group.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire mediated by the United States in 2024, ending fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that lasted more than a year.

Since then, both sides have exchanged accusations of violating the agreement, with Israel expressing skepticism about the efforts made by the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah.

Recently, the pace of Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, as well as inside the capital Beirut, has escalated.

Four diplomats and officials from Europe and Lebanon told Reuters that the Paris meeting aims to create better conditions to identify and support practical disarmament mechanisms and verify them in a way that discourages Israel from escalation, amid growing concerns about the collapse of the ceasefire.

They added that the approaching legislative elections scheduled for Lebanon in 2026 have raised fears that political paralysis could increase unrest in the country and deter President Michel Aoun from pushing for the continuation of the disarmament process.

A senior official who requested anonymity said, "The situation is very unstable and full of contradictions, and it won't take much to ignite the situation."

He added, "Aoun does not want to make the disarmament process too public because he fears it will provoke the Shiites in the south and escalate tensions."

The diplomats and officials said the core idea will focus on strengthening the existing ceasefire mechanism with French and American military experts, and possibly from other countries, alongside United Nations peacekeeping forces, given the Lebanese army's lack of capabilities to disarm Hezbollah.

The concerned parties hope to organize a conference early next year to support the Lebanese army, in addition to a separate conference to assist in reconstruction, especially in the south.

On Thursday, the Israeli occupation army launched a series of air raids on various areas in Lebanon, claiming to target what it described as "Hezbollah-affiliated targets."

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli airstrikes targeted the riverbed at the southern outskirts of the town of Zoutar in the Nabatieh district, as well as the Jbour, Qatrani, and Rayhan heights in southern Lebanon, and the Boudai and Hermel heights in the Bekaa region in the east of the country.

The agency indicated that Israeli raids hit the Joura al-Khadr - Koua al-Fil area around the town of Qatrani, and the Jbour pond near Kfar Houneh in the Jezzine area.

It added that Israeli drones launched an airstrike on a vehicle in the town of Taybeh in the Marjeyoun district in southern Lebanon, following Israeli aircraft flying over the area on Wednesday night.