US Senior Envoy in Beirut Says Gaza Truce May Not Necessarily Lead to Calm on Lebanon-Israel Border

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut, Lebanon March 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut, Lebanon March 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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US Senior Envoy in Beirut Says Gaza Truce May Not Necessarily Lead to Calm on Lebanon-Israel Border

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut, Lebanon March 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut, Lebanon March 4, 2024. (Reuters)

A senior US envoy visiting Beirut Monday said if a truce is reached in the Gaza Strip it would not automatically translate to calm along the volatile Lebanon-Israel border which has witnessed a rise in tensions.

Since the Israel-Hamas war started, Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israel almost daily, displacing thousands of people and spiking fear the conflict may spread in the region.

Amos Hochstein ’s comments came hours after Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, reiterated that the only way to stop the war along the Lebanon-Israel border is to end the war in Gaza.

Hochstein, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, began his talks by meeting Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally. He later met caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and is scheduled to meet other officials and politicians during his visit.

“The United States remains committed to advancing lasting security solutions achieved through diplomatic process,” Hochstein told reporters after he met Berri. He said such a move would allow tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israelis who were displaced by the conflict “to safely return” to their homes.

Hochstein’s visit came as the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying for weeks to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and to convince the Palestinian group to release some of the scores of hostages it is still holding since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.

It also comes as Israeli rescuers said Monday a foreign worker was killed and several others wounded by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon. The Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people, including two in serious condition.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters aborted two infiltration attempts the night before by Israeli troops into a border area in southern Lebanon.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, more than 215 Hezbollah fighters and nearly 40 civilians were killed on the Lebanese side while in Israel, nine soldiers and 10 civilians were left dead in the attacks.

“I’m mindful that my arrival comes on the heels of a tense few weeks on both sides of the border,” Hochstein said.

“An escalation will certainly not help Lebanon rebuild and advance forward at this critical time in Lebanon’s history,” he added in an apparent reference to Lebanon’s historic economic crisis that has been ongoing since 2019.

“A temporary ceasefire is not enough. A limited war is not containable and the security paradigm along the Blue Line has to change in order to guarantee everyone’s security,” Hochstein said referring to the Lebanon-Israel border.

Asked if a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will include Lebanon, he said it is not necessary “that when you have a ceasefire in Gaza, it automatically extends. That is why we are here today to be able to have a conversation and discussions” on the situation in Lebanon.

Israeli officials have threatened a wider war in Lebanon if Hezbollah does not withdraw its elite fighters north of the Litani River as stipulated in a 2006 truce that ended a 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war.

Western diplomats have brought forward a series of proposals for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, most of which would hinge on Hezbollah moving its forces 7-10 kilometers (about 4-6 miles) away from the border.

Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, blasted the United States in a speech Monday during a conference held in the group’s stronghold south of Beirut attended by Muslim clerics from several regional states. He blamed Washington for using its veto power three times to prevent resolutions at the UN Security Council to end the war in Gaza.

“We have said it clearly that whoever wants to be a mediator should mediate to stop the aggression,” Qassem said in his speech. He added that those who don’t want the war to expand in the region should deal with the cause “which is the brutal and criminal aggression by America and Israel against Gaza.”

“Stop the aggression on Gaza and the war will stop in the region,” he said.



Lebanon Begins Clearing Beirut, Airport Road of Political Banners

Removal of a photo of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah (Beirut Municipality) 
Removal of a photo of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah (Beirut Municipality) 
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Lebanon Begins Clearing Beirut, Airport Road of Political Banners

Removal of a photo of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah (Beirut Municipality) 
Removal of a photo of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah (Beirut Municipality) 

Lebanese authorities have launched a sweeping campaign to remove political party flags, posters, and slogans from Beirut’s streets and the main road to Rafic Hariri International Airport, in a move aimed at restoring the capital’s image and promoting tourism.

The cleanup, which began early Wednesday, was ordered by Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar and Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, with municipal crews and Internal Security Forces overseeing its execution. The initiative is part of a broader government plan to improve public spaces and reflect state authority, especially in areas highly visible to visitors.

“This is about presenting a unified, civil image of Lebanon,” al-Hajjar told Asharq Al-Awsat, emphasizing that the effort aligns with the government’s commitment to assert state sovereignty and support economic recovery.

“The President pledged to restore the state’s authority, and that includes enhancing the appearance and functionality of our cities,” he added.

Starting from central Beirut and stretching along the airport highway, the operation targets all political symbols — including those of powerful groups like Hezbollah and the Amal Movement — as well as commercial billboards installed on public property.

Abboud confirmed that all major parties were informed of the decision and responded cooperatively. “There’s consensus that the capital and airport road should reflect the Lebanese state — not individual factions,” he said, adding that the airport zone must be safe and firmly under state control.

The campaign is also part of preparations for the upcoming summer tourism season, with expectations of increased arrivals from Arab countries, expatriates, and international visitors. Authorities have prioritized street lighting and infrastructure upgrades as part of the broader revitalization.

“In just a few months, we’ve gone from pleading for diesel to keep the airport running, to relighting the entire route from the city center to the terminal,” said Abboud. “We want Beirut to look like a city of joy and openness.”

Party-related imagery placed on public property along Beirut’s roads has long caused tension, often dividing neighborhoods along political lines. Security officials say the removal effort has proceeded smoothly and without resistance, marking a rare show of unity in a politically fractured country.

“The state respects everyone’s right to political activity,” a security source said. “But that no longer includes turning public space into partisan territory.”