Lebanese PM Visits Nabatieh Amid Pressure for Hezbollah Disarmament Plan

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited the village of Zotar al-Arabi in the Nabatieh region on July 26, marking the launch of a pilot program where Israeli forces withdrew and Lebanese army units entered. Salam symbolically planted the Lebanese flag to assert sovereignty, reflecting practical steps behind ongoing diplomatic efforts. This visit followed an unusual incident the previous day involving Israeli forces firing warning shots at Lebanese soldiers who allegedly violated agreed boundaries.

The visit coincided with a historic White House meeting between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and U.S. President Donald Trump. According to a report by Saudi Al-Hadath channel citing American sources, Aoun presented Trump with a formal plan to disarm Hezbollah and strengthen the Lebanese army’s authority. The plan aims to consolidate all weapons under state control, ending Hezbollah’s independent military power, and includes redeployment of Lebanese forces in pilot areas alongside Israeli withdrawal. Aoun requested U.S. assistance in building a self-reliant Lebanese military and urged Washington to pressure Israel for a phased, then full, withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Diplomatic sources told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria that the summit is highly significant and could finalize a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel. However, they noted increased Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon, including strikes on several villages and threats to destroy tunnels in the Bofor fortress, aiming to enforce a new security reality with Israeli control over a buffer zone.

Two possible outcomes of the summit were outlined: a "conditional success" scenario where Trump enforces a timetable for Israeli withdrawal under U.S. Central Command supervision, or a "failure and escalation" scenario if no agreement is reached. Lebanese political sources told Nada al-Watan that the Aoun-Trump meeting paves the way for a comprehensive resolution of Lebanon’s crisis beyond isolated issues. They expect Hezbollah’s opposition to remain limited to verbal statements due to its inability to block progress on the ground. The effects of the summit are anticipated to become evident soon, establishing a new phase for resolving the Lebanese situation at the highest international decision-making levels.