US Envoy Reiterates Support for Lebanon’s Security, Officials Say - Peace Efforts Underway
As-salamu alaykum. US envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived in Beirut Monday evening and, according to an official source, praised the Lebanese army’s role in implementing the government-approved plan to centralize weapons under state authority. The source said Ortagus reaffirmed the US administration’s commitment to Lebanon’s security and stability.
On Tuesday she met with senior Lebanese leaders, including President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. She is due to attend a session of the Mechanism Committee at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon headquarters in Naqoura on Wednesday.
The official added that Ortagus made no public statements during her meetings. The meeting with President Aoun was described as having a positive tone, and she saw the Mechanism Committee as making progress. Both sides stressed the importance of finding practical ways to implement the ceasefire agreement with Israel that has been in effect since Nov. 27, as a way to support Lebanon’s stability.
Berri’s office said the discussion focused on Israeli violations and the work of the five-member technical committee monitoring the ceasefire. After that meeting, reports said Ortagus suggested expanding the Mechanism Committee to include civilian members, since it currently consists only of military officers. She also mentioned an Israeli account alleging weapons smuggling from Syria to Lebanon, while noting the US had not confirmed those claims.
President Aoun told Ortagus the Mechanism Committee should be activated to help stop ongoing Israeli violations and attacks, and to implement UN Resolution 1701 in the south so the Lebanese army can finish its deployment along the southern international border. He also highlighted the need to enable displaced southern residents to return home and repair damaged houses, especially with winter approaching.
Earlier, during a visit to Israel, Ortagus toured the border with Lebanon alongside Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said Israel would continue to defend its northern regions against threats.
On the ground in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army worked Tuesday to remove an embankment reportedly erected by the Israeli army on the outskirts of Markaba in Marjayoun. Israeli media quoted security sources claiming Hezbollah had smuggled hundreds of short-range missiles from Syria to Lebanon in recent months; some shipments were said to have been intercepted while others reached storage sites. Israeli outlets also reported estimates that Hezbollah may possess thousands of missiles and warned that if Lebanon’s government could not disarm the group, a focused operation might be considered.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Hassan Rashad visited Beirut and met with President Aoun. The presidential media office said Rashad expressed Egypt’s readiness to help stabilize southern Lebanon and end the shaky security situation, and he conveyed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s concern for Lebanon’s stability. He referenced the Gaza agreement and the Sharm El-Sheikh summit as possible models to help restore calm in Lebanon. Aoun welcomed any Egyptian effort to stop Israeli attacks and restore stability.
Egypt’s ambassador to Lebanon described the intelligence chief’s visit as part of ongoing security and political coordination, noting that the evolving pattern of Israeli operations calls for caution.
May Allah grant peace and stability to the people of Lebanon and protect all innocents affected by the tensions.
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