U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack arrived in Beirut on 26 August to present a Washington-backed roadmap that would see Hezbollah lay down its arms in return for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and expanded international support for the Lebanese army. Barrack told reporters that Lebanon will submit a detailed proposal by 31 August and stressed that “nobody wants to go into a civil war.” The delegation, which includes former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, pledged continued U.S. military assistance and said it would seek a one-year renewal of the UNIFIL mandate. A day earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government “appreciates” Beirut’s decision to pursue disarmament and is prepared to cooperate. A statement from his office offered reciprocal steps, including a phased pullback of Israeli forces from five positions in southern Lebanon once the Lebanese Armed Forces begin implementing the plan. Israel also indicated it will issue a counter-proposal after receiving Lebanon’s draft and is open to ‘step-for-step’ confidence-building measures. Hezbollah flatly rejected the initiative. In a televised address on 25 August, the group’s deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said the weapons that “protect Lebanon from Israel” would not be surrendered, calling the cabinet decision to restrict arms to the state a “sin imposed by the U.S. and Israel.” Qassem insisted Israel must first comply with the November-2024 cease-fire, free prisoners and withdraw fully before any discussion of a national defence strategy can start. Members of the U.S. delegation warned that further negotiations with Israel would be futile without Hezbollah’s disarmament, but emphasised that the decision ultimately rests with Lebanon. Lawmakers emerging from talks with President Joseph Aoun said Washington will continue to support Beirut’s chosen path, while Barrack noted that Gulf states could help offset any economic fallout from curbing Iranian funding to the group. The standoff has heightened concerns that protest calls by Hezbollah and allied movements could escalate, even as diplomats race to finalise a framework aimed at preventing a relapse into large-scale conflict.