Latest news with #IsraelLebanonConflict
Asharq Al-Awsat
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Washington Links Israeli Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon to Hezbollah's Disarmament
Concerns are growing in Lebanon after the United States' reluctance to step in, either directly or through the International Monitoring Committee overseeing the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, and prevent Israel from further escalating its strikes in the country. On Thursday, the Israeli military struck several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production. The strikes, preceded by an Israeli warning to evacuate several buildings, came on the eve of Eid al-Adha. What aggravated the Lebanese concerns was Israel's prior notification to the United States of its plan to target these buildings, which were later found not to be used by Hezbollah for manufacturing drones. According to official Lebanese sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, they said that Washington acknowledged that the buildings were not used by Hezbollah and directed blame at Tel Aviv citing that Israel's justifications were unfounded. But the US criticism of Tel Aviv is unlikely to deter the latter from carrying out further aggression against Lebanon, amid the failure of the monitoring committee to address Israel's violations. Washington blaming Israel will not change the reality on the ground as long as it enjoys a US cover that allows it to maintain pressure on Lebanon to set a timeline for Hezbollah's disarmament linked to its own withdrawal from the south. But Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have reiterated commitment to limiting weapons to the state's control and urged the international community to pressure Israel into withdrawing from southern Lebanon. Ministerial sources said that President Aoun stands firm in his position and is in ongoing communication with Hezbollah leadership paving way for dialogue aimed at ensuring the state's exclusive control over arms once conditions are ripe for implementation. The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah has no choice but to engage in serious dialogue, which is not intended as a stalling tactic while awaiting the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations on the nuclear file. They also assure that Lebanon is committed to the continued presence of the monitoring committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire. They point out that the upcoming dialogue with Hezbollah on securing the state's exclusive control over weapons is a cornerstone of Lebanon's national security strategy. The sources question the absence of the US engagement in Lebanon mainly regarding the military developments and Israel's escalation. They highlight that Lebanon is witnessing one of its darkest times compounded by Washington's dismissal of Morgan Ortagus, the deputy special envoy for the Middle East, from handling the Lebanese file. This move has left US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, and the entire Lebanese state, in a state of uncertainty, as Washington is reportedly considering sending Ambassador Thomas Barrett, although no official date has been announced for his arrival in Beirut. Barrett is currently the US envoy to Türkiye and recently appointed by President Donald Trump as special envoy to Syria. On the other hand, political sources interpret the current absence of the US role, and Israel's unrestricted freedom to act against Hezbollah's remaining military capabilities, as a deliberate strategy it uses to safeguard its borders. It also links withdrawal from south Lebanon to a timeline for containing Hezbollah's weapons and limiting it to the state's control. The White House endorses the principle of linking Israel's withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament as 'it was crafted in the United States', according to MPs who frequently visit Washington. Lebanon has no choice but to adhere to that, viewing it as a mandatory passage to bring a political end to the Iranian interference in the region with the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and to enter a new political phase for the Mediterranean country.
LBCI
3 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israel directly warns Lebanese president as tensions soar after Beirut strikes
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Israel has escalated its threats against Lebanon following airstrikes that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, with Security Minister Israel Katz issuing a direct warning to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, vowing continued attacks and accusing the Lebanese Army of conducting "coordinated displays." Katz reiterated longstanding Israeli claims that Hezbollah is boosting its military capabilities with the Lebanese state's approval, specifically alleging that drone production is underway in residential areas, posing a threat to northern Israeli communities. Israeli security officials and military analysts defended the strikes on Beirut's suburbs, describing them as a "necessary step." The attack has sharpened the divide in Israel over the legitimacy and strategic wisdom of expanding military operations into the Lebanese capital and other regions. The airstrikes followed Israeli military assessments suggesting Hezbollah is preparing for an escalation, with expectations that Lebanon might retaliate. In response, Israel deployed additional air defense systems in the north and announced that its armed forces are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including extensive defensive measures. Amid growing security concerns, some Israeli officials have expressed skepticism toward the intelligence behind the latest attacks. Doubts over whether Hezbollah is indeed rebuilding its arsenal have led to calls for Israel to submit its intelligence reports to international monitors tasked with overseeing the ceasefire agreement between the two sides. Using Lebanon's alleged failure to uphold the ceasefire agreement as justification, the Israeli military is reportedly considering intensifying its deployment along the northern border, expanding surveillance and reconnaissance operations, and threatening further strikes for every intelligence report suggesting Lebanese violations.
