Lebanese PM Visits Nabatiyeh Amid Pressure for Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited the village of Zotar al-Arabiyeh in the Nabatiyeh region on July 26, marking the launch of a pilot phase where Israeli Defense Forces withdrew and Lebanese army forces entered the area. Salam symbolically planted the Lebanese flag to assert sovereignty, reflecting practical steps behind ongoing diplomatic efforts.

This visit coincided with two key developments: an unusual incident the previous day involving IDF warning shots at Lebanese soldiers allegedly breaching agreements, and a historic White House meeting between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and U.S. President Donald Trump. During that meeting, Aoun presented a formal plan to Trump proposing the disarmament of Hezbollah in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

According to Saudi Al-Hadath channel citing American sources, Aoun’s plan calls for all weapons in Lebanon to be held exclusively by the state, ending Hezbollah’s independent military capacity. The roadmap includes deploying the Lebanese army in pilot zones, coordinated Israeli troop withdrawals or redeployments, and ensuring these areas are free of Hezbollah personnel, infrastructure, and weapons caches. Aoun requested U.S. assistance to strengthen the Lebanese army’s independent security role and urged Washington to pressure Israel for a gradual then full withdrawal.

Diplomatic sources told Lebanese media that the Aoun-Trump summit is highly significant, potentially setting the framework agreement for final decisions amid the pilot phase launch. Meanwhile, Lebanon warned of Israeli escalation, citing recent attacks on southern villages and threats to destroy tunnels in the Beaufort Castle area. The escalation aims to enforce a new reality designating the "yellow line" as a security buffer under Israeli control.

Two scenarios for the agreement’s outcome were outlined: conditional success with a U.S.-monitored Israeli withdrawal timetable, or failure leading to further escalation. Lebanese political sources viewed the summit as opening a new phase toward resolving Lebanon’s broader crisis, with Hezbollah’s opposition expected to remain limited to verbal statements due to its inability to obstruct progress on the ground.

"The summit lays the foundation for a new stage of solutions," they said, noting the issue has reached the highest levels of international decision-making. Hezbollah’s resistance is anticipated to be symbolic rather than operational, reflecting shifting dynamics in southern Lebanon.