US envoy Tom Barrack to visit Beirut as Iran-Israel war rages
US special envoy for Syria and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is expected to arrive in Beirut on Thursday to meet Lebanon's leaders, sources told The National, as the region reels from open warfare between Israel and Iran.
Mr Barrack – who is of Lebanese origin – will not be accompanied by Morgan Ortagus, deputy US special envoy to the Middle East, amid speculation she will no longer oversee the Lebanon file and will take on a new role within the US administration.
Political sources told The National they did not know what message Mr Barrack would deliver from Washington, but he is expected to raise the issue of Hezbollah 's disarmament, a crucial component of the group's November ceasefire deal with Israel that brought 14 months of conflict to a near halt.
'There's a ceasefire that Lebanon is committed to,' one of the Lebanese sources said. "We want them [Israel] to commit also."
The source was referring to continued bombardments by Israel since the truce deal was signed. The agreement called for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and for Hezbollah to disarm. While the militant group has largely stood down, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy in its place in southern Lebanon, Israel continues to occupy parts of the country and launch air strikes.
Israel still has a presence at five locations in southern Lebanon and has been mounting near-daily attacks on what it claims to be Hezbollah infrastructure.
On Monday, an Israeli drone struck the town of Houla in southern Lebanon, killing a beekeeper. The Israeli army said it had hit a Hezbollah operative.
Finding Hezbollah tunnels in south Lebanon mountains
The Israeli attacks on Lebanon have lessened in frequency since the outbreak of war with Iran last week, though they have not ceased entirely, one of the sources told The National.
'My estimation is that the Israelis don't want to mess with Lebanon because they're trying to dedicate themselves to fighting Iran full time,' the source said.
Hezbollah has given assurances it will not join Iran in retaliating against Israel.
As the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates, Tehran-backed Hezbollah, weakened after months of fighting, remains unable to aid its ally from Lebanese territory. The vast majority of the group's arsenal and infrastructure in Lebanon, south of the Litani river, has been either confiscated or destroyed by the Lebanese army under the terms of the ceasefire.
Washington has pressed Lebanese officials to fully and rapidly disarm Hezbollah, a demand Lebanese leaders say is difficult because of Israel's occupation, attacks and domestic political constraints.
Ms Ortagus had been expected to visit Beirut this month to push for an accelerated timetable for disarming Hezbollah and its allies.
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