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The U.S. presented Lebanon with “draft ideas to which we have
made fundamental amendments that will be presented to the
Cabinet early next week," Aoun said.
Under the Lebanese proposal, there would be an “immediate
cessation of Israeli hostilities” in Lebanon, including
airstrikes and targeted killing, a full withdrawal of Israeli
forces from southern Lebanon and the release of Lebanese
prisoners held in Israel, Aoun said.
Lebanon, for its part, would implement the “withdrawal of the
weapons of all armed forces, including Hezbollah, and their
surrender to the Lebanese Army,” he said.
The comments came after a speech Wednesday by Hezbollah leader
Naim Kassem that called the group’s weapons “part of Lebanon’s
strength” and said “anyone who demands the delivery of weapons
is demanding the delivery of weapons to Israel.”
Hezbollah officials have said they will not discuss giving up
the group’s remaining arsenal until Israel withdraws from all of
Lebanon and stops its strikes.
Aoun said Lebanon’s proposal also calls for international donors
to contribute $1 billion annually for 10 years to beef up the
Lebanese army's capabilities and for an international donor
conference to raise funds in the fall for reconstruction of
Lebanese areas damaged and destroyed during last year’s war
between Israel and Hezbollah.
The war nominally ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in
November calling for Hezbollah and Israeli forces to withdraw
from the area south of the Litani River in Lebanon, which would
be patrolled by a beefed-up Lebanese army, along with U.N.
peacekeepers.
The agreement left vague how Hezbollah’s weapons and military
facilities north of the Litani River should be treated, saying
Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorized facilities
starting with the area south of the river.
Hezbollah maintains the deal only covers the area south of the
Litani, while Israel and the U.S. say it mandates disarmament of
the group throughout Lebanon.
Since the the ceasefire took effect, Israel has continued to
occupy five border points in Lebanon and carry out almost daily
airstrikes that Israel says are aimed at preventing Hezbollah
from rebuilding its capabilities.
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