The committee overseeing the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel resumed on Sunday its meetings in Lebanon’s southern Naqoura region.
US envoy Morgan Ortagus and US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of the US Central Command (USCENTCOM), attended the meetings, which had come to a halt for several weeks.
The resumption reflects a new drive to revive the committee and fully implement the ceasefire that was reached in November between Israel and Lebanon to end the war with Hezbollah.
The committee is headed by the US and includes Lebanon, France and Israel as members, as well as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and is also tasked with overseeing the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701.
Cooper and Ortagus held a meeting at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura on Sunday before going on a helicopter tour of the border regions in the central and western sectors. They then returned to Beirut.
Ortagus had arrived in Beirut on Sunday and headed directly to Naqoura. She has not held any meetings with Lebanese officials, which ministerial sources said was not a negative sign.
They told Asharq Al-Awsat that her participation in the Naqoura meetings were tied to her mission to Lebanon, which is overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire.
Cooper, for his part, met with President Joseph Aoun and Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal on Saturday. He spent the night in Cyprus before returning to Lebanon on Sunday.
Details of the meetings were not announced, but the sources said that after a lull, Lebanon received pledges that the committee will resume work at a greater pace.
A new head of the committee will be announced soon with current head, General Michael Linney’s term ending soon.
The sources said the American delegation praised Lebanon’s efforts towards the ceasefire, while Aoun urged the US to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territories it is occupying in the South so that the army can complete its deployment there.
He said the military has deployed in over 85 percent of the South and continues to confiscate weapons and ammunition amid challenging circumstances. Twelve officers and soldiers have been killed while carrying out their duties, such as transferring ammunition or dismantling mines.
Aoun stressed to Cooper the importance of the US continuing to support the army and provide it with the necessary gear so that it can carry out its tasks throughout Lebanon, including preserving security, thwarting smuggling, counter-terrorism and securing the border with Syria.
For his part, Cooper hailed the army for its efforts, saying Washington will continue to support it, said a presidency statement.
