US envoy arrives in Beirut to discuss disarming Hezbollah

US envoy Tom Barrack arrived in Lebanon on Sunday to follow up on the implementation of the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The US envoy is scheduled to meet with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and a number of officials to discuss “regional developments”.

He will also discuss the US proposal which he had presented last June, which includes the disarmament of Hezbollah and the Israeli army withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

However, Beirut did not approve the US proposals at the time, but rather presented “ideas for a solution”.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported that the US proposal focuses on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed factions, and demands Lebanon to improve its relations with neighbouring Syria and implement financial reforms.

The US also proposes “a gradual disarmament plan, under which Hezbollah would hand over its weapons deployed in Lebanon in exchange for the Israeli forces’ withdrawal from southern Lebanon. 

READ: Lebanon, US discuss linking Hezbollah’s disarmament to Israeli withdrawal