The top Trump administration envoy to the Middle East was in Lebanon on Saturday, in tensions with Israel Flare amid the US pressure to crack down on Hezbollah and despite a US-brokered ceasefire.
President Trump's Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortags met with senior officials after the strike threatened a ceasefire that came into effect in November over the past two weeks.
The Lebanese government has been trying to rebuild its country in the wake of a catastrophic war between Israel and Hezbollah, in which around 4,000 people in Lebanon were killed and about 1 million people displaced. Hezbollah, a long-dominated Iranian-backed extremist group in Lebanon, has been severely weakened by the war, but it still has a major impact.
On Saturday morning, Ortagus met with new Lebanon President Joseph Ounu to discuss issues, including the situation in southern Lebanon, according to a statement from Ounu's office. Under the ceasefire, the Lebanese army is to take charge of the southern part of the country where Hezbollah has long been deeply entrenched.
Last week, extremists launched rockets at Israel, urging Israeli forces to attack Beirut, the capital and the outskirts of southern Lebanon. Israel later said it targeted Hezbollah officials in the area south of Beirut, known as Dahiya, which sparked further fears that the armistice could collapse.
Hezbollah denied any connection to the rocket fire. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah demonstrates a desire to return to full-scale war. Despite the tension, the ceasefire continues to be held, at least for now.
Ortagus and Ouns also discussed the ongoing financial overhaul by the new Lebanese government, according to a Lebanese statement. Lebanese officials hope that the effort will help bring about an increase in foreign aid from the United States to rebuild the country.
The total number of damages and economic losses from the war are estimated to be $14 billion, and Lebanon needs $11 billion to rebuild, the World Bank said last month that the conflict has been the most destructive since the end of the long civil war in 1990.
Experts say the amount of international aid will likely depend on whether the Lebanese government can assert control of the country, including disarming Hezbollah. Before the war, armed groups were so powerful that they were generally considered to be within the state.
