Israeli FM says Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah 'far from sufficient'

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has acknowledged on X that the Lebanese government and army had made efforts to disarm Hezbollah but said "they are far from sufficient".

Saar met Sunday with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

He said he reiterated "the importance of Hezbollah’s disarmament for both Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future".

"Efforts have been made in this regard by the Lebanese government and the Lebanese Armed Forces, but they are far from sufficient, among other things in light of Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild, with Iranian support," Saar wrote on X.

Hennis-Plasschaert's office in Lebanon meanwhile said that the discussions in Israel focused on advancing the implementation of resolution 1701 and the November 2024 cessation of hostilities understanding.

Under heavy U.S. pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Beirut has committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened after more than a year of hostilities with Israel including two months of open war that ended with the November 2024 ceasefire.

Lebanon's army was expected to complete the disarmament south of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometers from the border with Israel -- by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country.

Israel has questioned the Lebanese military's effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming, while the group itself has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.

Lebanon's cabinet is to meet on Thursday to discuss the army's progress, while the ceasefire monitoring committee -- comprising Lebanon, Israel, the United States, France and U.N. peacekeepers -- is also set to meet this week.