US envoy urges Lebanese government to take action on weapon control

BEIRUT/ ISTANBUL

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack called on the Lebanese government on Wednesday to take action to bring weapons under state control.

“A decision is required from the cabinet to confine weapons and halt attacks,” Barrack said following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi in Bkerke, northeast of Beirut.

Highlighting the importance of internal stability, Barrack stressed that it can only be achieved through state actors.

“President Donald Trump wants Lebanon to succeed,” he said, stating that neighboring countries, Gulf states, and the US are willing to lend a helping hand to Lebanon.

“We will continue the dialogue with those not yet at the table, and I will return,” he added in his comments carried by the local Akhbar Al Yawm newspaper.

The diplomat underlined his previous view that a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel “didn't work.”

Cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah’s activities.

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 258 people and injuries to more than 562.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply.

Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.