US envoy nears Lebanon-Israel ceasefire that would disarm Hezbollah terror group

Tom Barrack the U S special envoy to Lebanon commented Monday that his company would discuss a manageable ceasefire agreement with Israel after Beirut endorsed a U S -backed plan for the Hezbollah terrorist group to disarm Barrack following a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also mentioned Washington would seek an economic proposal for post-war reconstruction in the country after months of shuttle diplomacy between the U S and Lebanon Hezbollah which the U S has officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since remains Iran s bulk powerful proxy in the region and has been subject to extensive U S sanctions Barrack is also set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri who often negotiates on behalf of Hezbollah with Washington I think the Lebanese administration has done their part They ve taken the first step disclosed Barrack who is also the U S ambassador to Turkey Now what we need is for Israel to comply with that equal handshake FRENCH-DRAFTED UNIFIL RESOLUTION COULD SHIELD HEZBOLLAH AS US STAYS SILENTHezbollah drew intensified pressure during President Donald Trump s first term when Washington revived enforcement actions against its global finance networks imposed new sanctions and designated it a Transnational Criminal Organization in In Trump's second term the administration has broadened these measures The Treasury Department disclosed new sanctions on Hezbollah-linked financiers and front companies including designations in March and July targeting oil smuggling operations senior representatives and the group s financial arm Al-Qard Al-Hassan The State Department has also offered up to million for information disrupting Hezbollah s financial networks and reiterated that Hezbollah must not participate in Lebanon s leadership Lebanon s decision last week to sponsorship a plan to disarm Hezbollah angered the Iran-backed terrorist group and its allies who believe Israel s military should first withdraw from the five hilltops in southern Lebanon it has held since the end of its -month war with Hezbollah last November and stop launching almost daily airstrikes in the country Naim Kassem Hezbollah s secretary-general has vowed to fight efforts to disarm the group sowing fears of civil unrest in the country This is our nation together We live in dignity together and we build its sovereignty together or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us Qassem disclosed in a televised speech last week according to Reuters US PULLS CLUB FROM CEASEFIRE TALKS IN QATAR AFTER ISRAEL DOES THE SAME CLAIMING HAMAS IS ACTING IN BAD FAITHSalam Lebanon's prime minister stated Qassem's remarks carry a veiled threat of civil war and no one in Lebanon in the modern day wants a civil war and threatening or hinting at it is wholly unacceptable In the wake of the Oct attacks by Hamas terrorists Hezbollah launched rocket strikes and artillery fire against Israel prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes About months of cross-border combat ensued and Israel increasingly carried out precision strikes targeting Hezbollah commanders and leadership Large-scale fighting has not resumed since Israel and Hezbollah reached a U S -brokered ceasefire agreement in November though there have been violations The Israeli military has revealed the almost-daily airstrikes in southern Lebanon are intended to weaken Hezbollah's configuration and offset the terrorist group's efforts to reorganize and rearm Barrack warned Hezbollah that it will have missed an opportunity if it does not back the calls for it to disarm Aoun and Salam both want to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups and have demanded Israel halt its attacks and withdraw from the country Aoun noted he wants to increase funding for Lebanon s cash-strapped military to bolster its limit He also wants to raise money from international donors to help rebuild the country The World Bank estimates that Hezbollah and Israel s war in late cost billion in damages and economic losses as large swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon were battered The country has faced a crippling economic emergency since The Associated Press contributed to this review