US sets end-2025 deadline for Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah
Shafaq News – Middle East
The United States fixed “31 December 2025” as the cutoff for Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
According to the report, US President Donald Trump urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “shift from offensive operations to diplomacy and confidence-building steps” in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to move his 20-point plan into its civilian stage. Senior Israeli commanders likewise advised him to “end active combat and begin rebuilding the army,” with the General Staff backing alignment with Washington.
According to the newspaper, Israeli security sources reported that Israel has notified Lebanon of its intention to escalate the fighting unless Hezbollah is disarmed. The sources also noted that “the Lebanese Army has almost succeeded in clearing southern Lebanon of Hezbollah’s presence.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced ongoing military drills in Mount Hermon and the Shebaa Farms on Sunday.
The exercises follow weeks of training by the Galilee Division along the eastern and western sectors of the Lebanon border, conducted in anticipation of heightened tensions linked to what Israel describes as “the expansion of Hezbollah’s capabilities.”
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire signed on November 27, 2024, Israeli troops continue to hold five positions south of the Litani River and have carried out strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs. UNIFIL says it has logged more than 8,500 Israeli air violations and ground breaches since the truce.
Read more: Lebanon’s Aoun: Negotiations with Israel limited to security issues, no concessions
