Lebanese negotiators in Washington are facing two major challenges in ongoing discussions with Israel over Hezbollah’s disarmament, according to Randa Slim, director of the Middle East Program at the Stimson Center. In an interview with Al Jazeera, she said Israel and the United States want Hezbollah to surrender its weapons immediately, while Lebanese officials, despite their willingness to pursue disarmament, view it as a long-term process requiring internal political consensus.

Slim noted that public opinion in Lebanon largely supports disarming Hezbollah, but many within the country’s Shia community still oppose it, seeing the group as a shield against potential Israeli aggression. She expressed concern that Israel, known for its skill in process-based negotiations, could prolong talks without achieving tangible results, citing the decades-long Palestinian negotiations as an example.

Slim suggested that breaking the current deadlock might require direct pressure from U.S. President Trump on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though she added that the current U.S. administration appears more focused on Iran, making Lebanon a lower priority.