US Deputy Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus arrived in Lebanon on Monday for talks that Beirut has been waiting for with anticipation. She just concluded a two-day visit to Israel.
Ortagus is bringing a message that goes beyond just asking Beirut about disarming Hezbollah, Saudi-based news channel Al Arabiya reported.
“The Israeli air force has intensified its targeting and pursuit of Hezbollah members,” the report said. “Lebanon awaits the arrival of the US envoy to participate in the meeting of the ceasefire supervision committee on Wednesday, after she landed in Tel Aviv... and toured the border with Lebanon.”
Israel has increased its strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, Al Arabiya reported. The strikes appear to have expanded to include the Bekaa valley and other areas, according to social-media reports in Lebanon.
“Since last Thursday, these strikes have resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including at least eight Hezbollah members,” Al Arabiya reported. “This brings the number of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah members to more than 365 in the 11 months since the ceasefire agreement took effect on November 25, 2024, according to Israeli media. Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem acknowledged the imbalance of power following the recent war, considering this imbalance to be temporary.”
'We will not let the Israelis pass'
“We are the resistance, and we will remain the resistance,” he was quoted as saying. “We will not initiate combat, but we are ready to defend ourselves if a battle is imposed upon us. We will not let the Israelis pass, no matter how powerful we are.”
Ortagus will begin her meetings with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Al Arabiya reported.
“US envoy Tom Barrack is scheduled to visit Lebanon in early November,” the report said. “His visit will coincide with the arrival of the new US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa.”
Ortagus is interested in conveying a message that goes beyond the desire to see Beirut have a monopoly on weapons. It is about disarming Hezbollah, but Hezbollah says it won’t disarm.
It is also about “finding a mechanism for negotiating with Israel in the near future, meaning that the deadline for taking concrete measures may be weeks, not months,” the report said.
Israel continues to threaten to increase operations, Al Arabiya reported. This comes after the IDF held a division-level drill in the North and while Syria complains about Israeli incursions on the Syrian border.
Defense Minister Israel Katz “threatened continued attacks on Lebanon and vowed to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of residents in northern Israel and along the border,” UK-based LBC News reported.
Regarding Ortagus’s visit to Israel, the report said: “During the visit, Ortagus was briefed by Katz on the situation along the border and received an intelligence report from Israeli officers claiming that Hezbollah is rebuilding its military infrastructure in South Lebanon. Commanders also outlined current security challenges and Israel’s preparedness along the frontier.”
Hezbollah not only refuses to disarm; it wants to see an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been reassuring his cabinet ministers that Israel is a sovereign country that makes its own decisions. This comes after claims that Israel was letting the Trump administration make decisions. That could cause Israel to shift focus to Lebanon, as the Gaza deal continues.
Meanwhile, a Lebanese MP who represents Hezbollah said the group’s enemies seek to “swallow” Lebanon. This indicates that Hezbollah wants to convey that even though it took a drubbing in the war last year, it is recovering.