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In 2000, after 22 years of occupation, Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon. Following this swift withdrawal, Israel’s proxy, the South Lebanese Army, collapsed and let the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, take control of its territories. It was hence Hezbollah, not the Lebanese state, that took over.

Israel’s unilateral withdrawal, ordered by Prime Minister Ehud Barak, ended a very costly presence with no significant gains. During its occupation, Israel lost about 1,000 men and the financial cost was in the billions of dollars. Barak wanted to do the same in Gaza and, in October of the same year, the Second Intifada started. It was Ariel Sharon who in 2005 disengaged Israel from Gaza, with Hamas taking over. In both theaters, Israel’s unilateral withdrawal reduced the intensity of conflict but left Hezbollah and Hamas in real control.

In Lebanon, despite a few skirmishes, Hezbollah and Israel respected certain rules of engagement, such as the UN-demarcated Blue Line, as well as ensuring any retaliation was proportional and localized. This lasted until 2006, when Hezbollah followed Hamas and decided to join the war, and then again in 2023. Without going back through all the events, the Israeli withdrawal empowered Hezbollah from the start.

Indeed, Hezbollah was the instrument that pushed the Israelis out, giving the group a savior and hero status, which subsequently put it above the Lebanese state and every other sovereign institution. Meanwhile, the Shebaa Farms, from which Israel did not withdraw and which also involves Syria, gave Hezbollah the technicality it needed to stay armed and claim there were still occupied Lebanese lands and that it was the only deterrent against Israel.

In a way, Israel has chosen its enemies. In 1982, it chose Hezbollah over the Palestinian and Arab resistance, and it also chose again in Gaza when it cornered Yasser Arafat in 2004. Yet, just as in 2006, it has been capable, when its enemies cross the red line, of inflicting a heavy toll.

In 2024, the offensive was different, more reminiscent of 1982, when it expelled the Palestine Liberation Organization. It was no longer about punishment for crossing a red line, but the much more strategic decision of destroying Hezbollah. Following the heavy losses Hezbollah endured and its weakened state, this allowed a new leadership in Lebanon to potentially fill this vacuum and put forward a plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament, something many Lebanese look forward to. It is time to end the role of a proxy that should never have been above the state and should never have had the power to make decisions of war and peace.

This is exactly why President Michel Aoun’s statement this week that there is no choice but to negotiate with Israel using diplomatic language is important. There is indeed no way of regaining Lebanese sovereignty without the state holding the files of any remaining occupied territory. Hezbollah had a clear agenda not to solve any pending border issues, as it validated its status as a resistance force. It abused this position to control the entire country.

Hence, if Aoun is capable of taking over this file and negotiating a solution for all pending territorial disputes, whether in the Mediterranean or the Shebaa Farms, this removes all the cards that Hezbollah gained in 2000 and puts the state back in the decision-making seat. The same should be done with Syria.

If this process is successful, then instead of selecting its enemy, Israel will be able to have relations with Lebanon similar to those it has with Jordan or Egypt. Moreover, as Syria’s new leadership has openly stated its willingness to negotiate with Israel, and with the fact that Damascus’ control over Lebanon no longer exists, this opens another huge opportunity for Lebanon to bring things to a settlement and achieve peace. This is achievable peace, not a temporary truce. Both Israel and Lebanon should be keen to seize this opportunity.

Aoun also stated his commitment to the Mechanism Committee, established in 2024. This Lebanese military body currently coordinates with Israel on border security and territorial issues and it operates under UN mediation. Morgan Ortagus, the deputy US special envoy to the Middle East, mentioned the possibility of including civilians in the Mechanism Committee. The important thing is to initiate these negotiations and not have any Hezbollah-linked military or civilian personnel involved. The Lebanese state has a historic opportunity to seize the decision of peace or war. It is time the state took full responsibility for these files and that the army became the only defender of the country’s borders.

It is time to end the role of a proxy that should never have had the power to make decisions of war and peace.

Khaled Abou Zahr

We do not know how long these negotiations might take and the Lebanese state needs to regain its decision-making on many other files. Therefore, it is also extremely important that the disarmament of Hezbollah is not linked to these negotiations. Indeed, we can expect very tough negotiations from the Israeli side and Tel Aviv will certainly not make easy concessions to Lebanon. As a starter, it will probably remind everyone that the decapitation of Hezbollah allowed the Lebanese president to push forward with the reconquering of sovereignty.

As a result, Hezbollah no longer presents a deterrent or offers any advantage. It is finally being seen for what it is: an agent of destruction representing foreign interests on Lebanese soil. Hence, its disarmament needs to take place regardless of any border dispute with Israel.

Aoun will need regional and international support to conclude these negotiations successfully and to encourage both sides to finalize an agreement as quickly as possible. This potential peace agreement would be a huge achievement and a steppingstone toward Lebanon fully regaining its sovereignty. Aoun’s declaration showed courage. Let us hope it will be achieved. This would mean a new path for Lebanon, one that — for the first time in a very long while — would allow the country to regain agency. It is filled with opportunity and prosperity.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi