Thomas Brack's Visit to Lebanon: Washington Refuses to Provide Guarantees or Oblige Israel

American Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Brack, arrived in Beirut on his third visit in less than two months, with the aim of receiving the official Lebanese response to the American paper previously presented, which includes the US administration's vision for implementing the process of arms control in the hands of the Lebanese state.

During this visit, Brack, who may be making his final visit according to leaked information, reiterated that his country does not have any guarantees to offer Lebanon, nor can it compel Israel to take any steps, reiterating that the issue of disarming Hezbollah is a Lebanese internal matter, and that the United States is content with the desire to help Lebanon restore its sovereignty.

According to informed official sources, the Lebanese paper handed over by the American envoy did not include any timelines or practical steps for implementing the process of arms control in the hands of the state, raising questions about Lebanon's seriousness in moving forward with American demands.

The same sources revealed that Brack did not offer any American guarantees regarding Israel's withdrawal from five border points still occupied in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanon has called on Washington to pressure Israel for a gradual withdrawal from the south, on the condition that Lebanon commits to what is required regarding arms, considering that this withdrawal would facilitate negotiations with Hezbollah to hand over its weapons.

The American administration, however, insists on the necessity of setting a clear timeline for the weapon handover, to be completed before the end of the current year.

Official sources did not rule out the possibility of Israel escalating its military operations in Lebanon and expanding the scope of its targeting of Hezbollah's infrastructure if it does not face American pressure to stop such attacks.

President Joseph Aoun handed Brack a comprehensive memorandum during their meeting, which includes Lebanon's commitments since November 27, 2024, leading up to the government's ministerial statement and the oath speech, emphasizing the priority of saving the country by asserting the state's authority over all Lebanese territories and confining weapons to the hands of legitimate military forces, with the insistence that the decision of war and peace should remain solely in the hands of constitutional institutions.

In a related context, government sources suggested the possibility of holding a cabinet session dedicated to discussing the issue of Hezbollah's arms, but indicated that any such step is contingent on obtaining an American guarantee to compel Israel to cease its daily violations of the ceasefire agreement, in order to fortify the official Lebanese position in confronting the party.

Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement at the end of November 2024, the area south of the Litani River has been under the control of the Lebanese army by over 85%, with approximately 7,000 Lebanese soldiers deployed there, and no visible signs of armed elements affiliated with Hezbollah.

In contrast, Israel still retains five border points where it has established buffer zones.

In northern Litani, military sources confirmed that the Lebanese army is ready to deploy there upon the necessary political decision, indicating that dealing with the remaining ammunition from the war is done according to its nature, with the usable ammunition being kept, while the damaged ones are detonated in designated locations within Lebanese territories.