Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday defended his government's negotiations with Israel as the "fastest and least costly path" for Lebanon, after the talks produced a new ceasefire initiative that was swiftly rejected by Hezbollah.
The Lebanese-Israeli negotiations led overnight to a US-backed agreement aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group and paving the way for Hezbollah's disarmament.
In a statement released by his office, Salam said the negotiations represented the best option available for the people of Lebanon.
"We could have stood by in the face of a reality and a war that we did not choose, but that was never an option for a single moment," he said, describing the talks as difficult and the Israeli position as "tough."
Under the agreement announced in Washington on Wednesday, Hezbollah militants would be disarmed.
Salam said the principle of a state monopoly on arms had already been established after the country's civil war ended in the early 1990s and that Lebanon should not miss another opportunity to enforce it.
As a next step, he announced the gradual deployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon, warning that any delay would come at the expense of the region and its residents.
However, Hezbollah rejected the agreement.
Secretary General Naim Qassem described the direct negotiations as a "farce" and a "humiliation." He said the group would not accept any arrangement centred on its disarmament.
Hezbollah insists that any agreement must focus on a comprehensive ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
