Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos announced that the cabinet approved the general objectives of the American paper related to consolidating the cessation of hostilities agreement, including ending the armed presence in the country, including Hezbollah’s weapons.
Marcos said in a press conference following the cabinet session: “We agreed to end the armed presence on all territories, including Hezbollah,” explaining that the government agreed to deploy the Lebanese army in the border areas, and to enter into indirect negotiations with Israel to demarcate the land borders.
The Lebanese Minister of Information added that the Council has not yet addressed the details of the timetables contained in the American paper, noting that the government is awaiting a plan from the army regarding the mechanism for handing over weapons, before entering into detailed discussions regarding the paper.
In a related context, Marcos commented on the withdrawal of 5 ministers from the session, stressing that their departure does not constitute a resignation from the government, and that attempts to dissuade them from their decision failed.
Sources close to Hezbollah confirmed that the withdrawal of the party’s ministers from the government session comes as a first step in protest against the discussion of the “Brack Paper”, stressing that “all possibilities are open” if this paper is approved.
The sources added that Hezbollah considers that “the only agreement that must be implemented at the current stage is the ceasefire agreement”, calling on the Israeli side to fully adhere to the terms of this agreement.
