A Hezbollah official told Reuters that Hezbollah was ready to negotiate with the Lebanese president on the condition that Israel withdraw its troops from five southern Lebanese hills and stop its attacks.
US-backed President Joseph Aoun, who declared his intention to establish exclusive state control over arms control when he took office in January, intends to start talks on Hezbollah’s armaments soon.
The issue of disarmament has become particularly acute since last year’s war with Israel upset the balance of power in Lebanon and ousted Hezbollah’s ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Hezbollah suffered significant losses in the 2024 war with Israel, losing its top leadership, thousands of fighters, and most of its missile arsenal.
A senior Hezbollah official said the group is ready to discuss the issue of weapons as part of its national defense strategy if Israel withdraws its troops from five southern Lebanese hills.
“Hezbollah is ready to discuss the issue of weapons if Israel withdraws from these five points and stops its attacks on the Lebanese,” the official said in an interview with Reuters.
