Lebanon is approaching a decisive moment in its long-standing struggle to address the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, after Israel rejected a Lebanese proposal that sought to end attacks and secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied points in southern Lebanon in exchange for Lebanon initiating steps to handle Hezbollah’s armaments north of the Litani River.

The focus now shifts to a cabinet session scheduled for Tuesday by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, which will place the issue of exclusive weapons authority firmly on the table. The meeting is seen as the launching point for renewed engagement with the United States, which has delivered a three-point proposal through its envoy, Ambassador Thomas Barrack. Chief among the U.S. demands is the disarmament of Hezbollah. The Lebanese Parliament is expected to address the reform-related components of the U.S. paper during legislative sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, where it will vote on two key bills: the Banking Sector Restructuring Law and the Judicial Reform Law.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Prime Minister Salam said the inclusion of the weapons issue on the cabinet agenda comes “in its natural context,” stressing that he had already pledged to raise the matter once internal and external consultations reached maturity. He noted that he was the first to place the issue on the cabinet’s agenda back in April.

Salam denied reports of any discord among senior Lebanese officials over how to approach the file. He underscored that he remains in “complete and ongoing consultation” with President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

The weapons-related agenda item, he said, is rooted in the language of the 1989 Taif Agreement, which calls for the Lebanese state to fully extend its sovereignty over all its territory using only its national armed forces, and to complete implementation of the ceasefire agreement that followed the 2006 war with Israel. Barrack’s paper, Salam added, offers concrete proposals to help fulfill that objective.

The Prime Minister pushed back on suggestions of Shiite opposition to discussing Hezbollah’s weapons.

“This is not intended to provoke anyone,” he said. “This issue stems from the President’s inaugural speech and the government’s ministerial statement; both of which received full support from all Shiite MPs as part of a sweeping parliamentary majority that elected the President and twice granted the government confidence.”

Salam affirmed that there would be no backtracking on the state's exclusive control over weapons, just as there would be no retreat from the reform agenda that is expected to advance in Thursday’s parliamentary session and in upcoming cabinet meetings.