US ambassador to Beirut says Israeli attacks in south Lebanon will continue until Hezbollah is disarmed
Israeli attacks in southern Lebanese villages will continue until Hezbollah disarms, US ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said on Friday. “They’ll stop when it’s time to stop. Tell Hezbollah that as soon as it hands over its weapons, everything will stop,” Mr Issa said after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. His comments came a day after Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned what he…
US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa stated on Friday that Israeli attacks in southern Lebanese villages would persist until Hezbollah surrendered its weapons. Issa made the declaration following a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. This came a day after Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Israeli "attacks, incursions, and systematic bulldozing and destruction" of homes, neighborhoods, infrastructure, government buildings, and places of worship in southern Lebanon.
Salam called the assertion that entire villages and towns were "military facilities" illogical and unjustifiable, given the displacement of inhabitants and their inability to return to their homes. Issa's comments followed a two-day visit to Lebanon by Lt-Gen Joseph Clearfield, who met with Lebanese political and military leaders to revive stalled negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
The delegation also visited President Joseph Aoun and Army commander Brig Gen Rodolph Haykal. The US aims to advance a framework agreement that involves Hezbollah disarming and Israel withdrawing, with verification conducted by a mechanism overseen by Lt Gen Clearfield. However, discussions at recent talks in Rome yielded little practical progress, and Israeli forces continued to displace residents of Al Mansouri village while launching air strikes in south Lebanon.
The US delegation's visit aimed to address these obstacles, but intensified Israeli attacks coincided with the delegation's arrival. The strategically important Ali Al Taher ridge remains a potential flashpoint, with Israel accusing Hezbollah of stockpiling weapons there. Despite the US seeking a process based on Hezbollah's disarmament and Lebanon's demand for an end to the military campaign, a disconnect persists between diplomatic efforts and the ground situation.
Hezbollah has criticized the US-mediated framework deal, accusing it of Israeli dictates that led to the occupation of Al Mansouri.
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