Lebanon’s Cabinet on Thursday approved the objectives included in the U.S. proposal put forth by envoy Thomas Barrack, despite a walkout by ministers from Hezbollah and the Amal Movement who objected to addressing the issue of disarmament before the Lebanese Army presents its plan later this month.

Ministers Rakan Nassereddine, Mohammad Haydar, and Tamara Zein — representing Hezbollah and Amal — exited the session alongside Minister Fadi Makki just before the Cabinet voted unanimously in favor of the proposal’s goals. The approval was secured by the remaining ministers in the session.

Ministerial sources told LBCI that President Joseph Aoun had urged the Shiite bloc’s ministers to remain in the session and participate in a discussion of the U.S. document’s stated objectives. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, along with Information Minister Paul Morcos, also attempted to dissuade them from leaving, proposing instead that they register their objections in the official session minutes. Legal justifications to proceed were presented by Salam, Morcos, and Justice Minister Adel Nassar.

“I walked out because the U.S. proposal contains matters too serious to engage with. It’s beyond our ability to handle,” Makki later told Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al-Ahed.

Labor Minister Mohammad Haydar said the ministers had walked out after the Cabinet had rejected their request to delay the discussion until the Lebanese Army presents its official plan by August 31.

“How do I face the mother of a martyr, or a father still sitting in a protest tent, or a young man living in constant fear, and tell them they must surrender the only guarantee that protects them?” Haydar reportedly said during the session. “We cannot discuss disarmament until Israel withdraws, our prisoners are released, Israeli strikes cease, and reconstruction begins. Otherwise, I can’t take responsibility for a decision that wrongs my people.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Information Minister Paul Morcos said the Cabinet had approved the goals laid out in the preamble of Barrack’s proposal, particularly those aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire. He noted that the text reflected amendments previously introduced by Lebanese officials.

“The Cabinet will revisit the issue once the Army submits its implementation plan at the end of the month,” Morcos said.

He added that Prime Minister Salam and several ministers had made “serious efforts” to prevent the Shiite ministers from walking out.

“President Aoun was keen on their continued participation. But they chose to leave before the vote so that the decision wouldn’t be taken in their presence,” he said. “They withdrew from the session, not from the government.”

Morcos stressed that the discussion did not delve into operational details of the U.S. plan and focused solely on its general objectives, pending the Army’s formal recommendations.