Lebanon has stepped up his calls for Hezbollah to disarm on Thursday, suggesting failure to do so would give Israel an excuse to continue attacks, saying the issue would be on the agenda of a cabinet meeting next week.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun urged Hezbollah and other political factions to hand over their weapons to the national army, a step the powerful Iran-backed group is resisting amid growing pressure from Washington for its disarmament.
Speaking from the defence ministry headquarters in a televised address, Aoun said, “It is the responsibility of all political parties to seize this historic moment and commit to ensuring that only the army and official security forces possess weapons.”
Hezbollah, which suffered significant losses during last year’s conflict with Israel, dismissed the disarmament calls. The group's deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said on Wednesday, “Those who demand we hand over our weapons are effectively asking us to surrender to Israel. We will not submit.”
Washington has been urging Lebanon to formally commit, via a cabinet decision, to the disarmament of Hezbollah as a prerequisite for resuming negotiations on halting Israeli military operations in the country, according to five sources cited by Reuters.
Aoun noted that a proposal set to be submitted to the cabinet next week includes provisions for Israel to end its attacks and withdraw from positions it currently holds in southern Lebanon, in parallel with Hezbollah transferring its arsenal to the Lebanese military.
The proposal also outlines a plan to secure $1 billion annually for a decade to strengthen the army and security forces. Additionally, it includes preparations for an international conference later this year to support Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts.
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The U.S. government has shut down after Congress failed to approve funding. Non-essential services are paused, thousands of federal workers are left unpaid, and both parties blame each other for the deadlock.
NATO navies are ramping up defenses in the Baltic and North Seas as Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of deceptive vessels grows rapidly, raising fears of espionage and sabotage against critical infrastructure.
The Pentagon recommitted itself in a statement on Tuesday to scaling back its military mission in Iraq, a process that a U.S. official said will see Baghdad command efforts to combat remnants of Islamic State inside its own country.
U.S. stock index futures fell on Wednesday as investors assessed the implications of the federal government shutdown, which threatens to disrupt the release of key economic data and complicate the Federal Reserve's policy path.
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