Lebanon likely to announce full disarmament of south 'in coming weeks'

Lebanon is expected to announce in the coming weeks that it has completed the full disarmament of Hezbollah in the country's south. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have been destroying Hezbollah's weapons south of the Litani River as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. This development occurs as Beirut engages in unprecedented direct talks with Israel under US auspices, despite ongoing Israeli strikes. Lebanon has indicated it would accept US or French verification of its disarmament efforts to encourage Israel's engagement in the diplomatic process. The conflict escalated after Hezbollah's attacks on Israel following October 7, 2023, which led to an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.