BEIRUT / ISTANBUL 

The Lebanese Cabinet on Thursday approved the goals outlined in a US proposal aimed at solidifying a ceasefire agreement with Israel, Information Minister Paul Morcos said.

Speaking at a press conference following a Cabinet session held at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Morcos said the government backed the objectives listed in the preamble of US envoy Tom Barrack’s proposal to maintain the cessation of hostilities.

"We approved ending the armed presence across all Lebanese territory, including Hezbollah, and deploying the Lebanese army to border areas," Morcos stated.

He added that the government's decisions are intended to "restore stability, uphold state authority, and launch reconstruction efforts."

During the Cabinet session, four ministers walked out of the meeting, including Rakan Nasreddine and Mohammad Haidar of Hezbollah, and Tamara Zein of the Amal Movement. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, also linked to the Amal Movement, was absent, citing travel.

Morcos confirmed that the four ministers withdrew in protest over the adoption of the US proposal, saying: “They did not want to be part of approving its goals.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam shared on X the 11 objectives outlined in the US document, which calls for the full implementation of the 1989 Taif Accord and the Lebanese Constitution, alongside the enforcement of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which mandates an end to hostilities, Israeli withdrawal, and state sovereignty across all Lebanese territory.

The plan also seeks the gradual disarmament of all non-state actors – including Hezbollah – both north and south of the Litani River, while reaffirming the state’s exclusive authority to make decisions on matters of war and peace.

It calls for strengthened support for the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces and for international military assistance to help implement the plan.

Among the key objectives are an Israeli withdrawal from five occupied border points and the resolution of prisoner and boundary issues through indirect negotiations.

The proposal also envisions the return of displaced civilians to their homes in the south, the permanent demarcation of Lebanon’s borders with both Israel and Syria, and a full halt to Israeli violations by land, sea, and air.

In support of reconstruction, the plan urges the convening of an international economic conference with the participation of the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other partners to help rebuild and stabilize Lebanon.

On Tuesday, the Cabinet tasked the Lebanese army with drafting a plan to centralize all weapons under state control, including those held by Hezbollah, before the end of 2025. The army is expected to present the plan later this month.

Hezbollah called the government decision a “grave sin” and vowed to ignore it. Amal, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also criticized the move, saying the government should not offer “free concessions” to Israel and should instead focus on “securing a ceasefire first and halting the Israeli killing machine.”

Israel launched military operations in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target activities of the Hezbollah group.

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.