US, ‘Israel’ await action from Lebanon on disarming Hezbollah: envoy

US envoy Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday that Lebanese authorities must execute their decision to disarm Hezbollah, adding that ‘Israel’ would respond in kind to any government steps.

Beirut has ordered the Lebanese army to draw up a plan to disarm the Iran-backed group which was severely weakened by a war with ‘Israel’ last year, but has opposed laying down its arms.

"We're all greatly encouraged by the historic decision of the government a few weeks ago, but now it's not about words, now it's about action," Ortagus told journalists at Lebanon's presidential palace in Baabda.

Read more: VIDEO: Hezbollah's Qassem rejects disarmament ahead of US-Lebanon talks

Her comments came after talks between a US delegation and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

On Monday, ‘Israel's’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a phased pullout of troops from Lebanon if Beirut implements its decision to disarm Hezbollah -- part of a November ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington.

Ortagus said that ‘Israel’ was "willing to go step by step, it might be small steps... but they're willing to go step by step with this government".

US envoy Tom Barrack, who was also part of the visiting delegation, said that when the ‘Israelis’ see action from Lebanon, "they will give their counterproposal" on troop withdrawal and security arrangements.

Barrack noted that ‘Israeli’ officials had made it clear they "don't want to occupy Lebanon".

Hezbollah was the only group to keep its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of resistance against ‘Israel’, which occupied the south until 2000.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has repeatedly refused to give up the group's weapons.

The Lebanese government's decision to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year was made under heavy US pressure and amid fears of expanded military action by ‘Israel’, which has continued to carry out attacks in Lebanon despite the November ceasefire.

Barrack, responding to a question on an Axios report detailing a US plan to establish a special economic zone in southern Lebanon, said it could help "substitute" Iranian influence.

"When we say disarm Hezbollah, we have 40,000 people that are being paid by Iran to fight. What are you going to do with them?" he said.

"The way we help them is to say, we -- all of us, the Gulf, the US, the Lebanese -- are all going to act together in creating an economic forum that will produce a livelihood."

According to Axios, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have already agreed to invest once ‘Israel’ withdraws from areas it holds in Lebanon's south, in a bid to limit the return of Hezbollah and help address ‘Israel's’ security concerns.