Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that his country is prepared to disarm Hezbollah and hand over its weapons to the national army. Speaking at the Army Day celebrations on Thursday, he urged Hezbollah and all political factions in Lebanon to endorse the principle that only the state and its armed forces should possess weapons. He maintained that the Lebanese state must fully assert its control over all of its territory and that all armed groups, including Hezbollah, should be disarmed.

He added that the government is actively working to dismantle existing militant sleeper cells and prevent new ones from forming. He informed that Lebanon has sought the United States’ intervention to stop Israeli assassinations on Lebanese soil. He said that the Lebanese army needs around one billion dollars annually for the next ten years to remain effective. Lastly, he stated that Lebanon has officially proposed to define and demarcate its land and sea borders with Syria, with the assistance of the U.S., France, and Saudi Arabia.