"Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah in the south of the Litani River before a year-end deadline as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, according to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Saturday's statement comes as the country races to fulfil the key demand in the US-backed deal agreed in November last year and ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah."
"Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion, a statement from his office said. The state is ready to move on to the second phase namely [confiscating weapons] north of the Litani River based on the plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government, Salam added."
"In a meeting on Friday, the committee focused on how to return displaced people to their homes, addressing civilian issues to help prevent renewed war if the year-end deadline to disarm Hezbollah is not met. The 15th meeting of the committee reflected a longstanding US push to broaden talks between the sides beyond monitoring the 2024 ceasefire. At Friday's meeting in the southern Lebanese coastal town of Naqoura, civilian participants discussed steps to support safe returns."
Lebanon is close to completing disarmament of Hezbollah in areas south of the Litani River ahead of a year-end deadline tied to a US-backed ceasefire with Israel. The agreement requires the Iran-aligned group's weapons to be removed starting in areas adjacent to Israel. Lebanese authorities tasked the army on August 5 with drawing up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by year-end. The government says the first phase, covering south of the Litani, is days from completion and that authorities are ready to begin confiscating weapons north of the river. A committee meeting also addressed displaced returns and reconstruction to reduce the risk of renewed conflict.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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