Latest news with #Ortagus
Nahar Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berri not notified of Ortagus visit, says US hasn't done enough to stop Israeli violations
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 May 2025, 14:51 Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has only heard about U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus' visit to Lebanon from media reports. Berri told local al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that he hasn't been formally informed that Ortagus would visit Lebanon next week and that he has not seen any tangible steps from the U.S. regarding the Israeli violations of the November ceasefire. Israel has continued to launch near-daily airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon and sometimes in Beirut's suburbs despite a November 27 truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war. Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, the only armed bodies in southern Lebanon are meant to be U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon's army, though Israel has retained its forces in five areas it has declared strategic. "We are committed to the ceasefire," Berri said, urging the U.S. to compel Israel to stop its attacks. Al-Akhbar newspaper had earlier reported that the Lebanese presidency was informed of a postponement of a visit by Ortagus from May to June and that the U.S. diplomat would carry with her a list of U.S. conditions for Israel's complete withdrawal from south Lebanon and a halt of its attacks on the country and would pressure Lebanon to consider joining peace accords with Israel. Ortagus said last week that Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah across the country.
Nahar Net
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Ortagus to visit Lebanon with list of US conditions for full ceasefire, report says
Ortagus to visit Lebanon with list of US conditions for full ceasefire, report says Deputy U.S. Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus who is due to visit Lebanon next month will carry with her a list of U.S. conditions for Israel's complete withdrawal from south Lebanon and a halt of its attacks on the country, pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported. The daily said Wednesday that it has learned from prominent political sources that the U.S. has informed Lebanese officials that Ortagus will pressure Lebanon to consider joining peace accords with Israel as a pre-condition for a complete implementation of a ceasefire reached in late November. Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to launch daily raids on Lebanon and is still occupying five hills in south Lebanon it deems "strategic." Israeli strikes on two different locations in south Lebanon killed two people Wednesday in Ain Baal and Yater. Ortagus said Tuesday that Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah not just south of the Litani, while President Joseph Aoun said Monday during a visit to Egypt that Lebanon is working to secure peace and end war without engaging in "direct talks" with Israel. He said Hezbollah has the right to participate in Lebanese politics but not to keep its arms.
Nahar Net
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Ortagus to visit Lebanon with list of US conditions for full ceasefire, report says
by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 May 2025, 13:31 Deputy U.S. Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus who is due to visit Lebanon next month will carry with her a list of U.S. conditions for Israel's complete withdrawal from south Lebanon and a halt of its attacks on the country, pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported. The daily said Wednesday that it has learned from prominent political sources that the U.S. has informed Lebanese officials that Ortagus will pressure Lebanon to consider joining peace accords with Israel as a pre-condition for a complete implementation of a ceasefire reached in late November. Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to launch daily raids on Lebanon and is still occupying five hills in south Lebanon it deems "strategic." Israeli strikes on two different locations in south Lebanon killed two people Wednesday in Ain Baal and Yater. Ortagus said Tuesday that Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah not just south of the Litani, while President Joseph Aoun said Monday during a visit to Egypt that Lebanon is working to secure peace and end war without engaging in "direct talks" with Israel. He said Hezbollah has the right to participate in Lebanese politics but not to keep its arms.
Nahar Net
21-05-2025
- Business
- Nahar Net
Ortagus has 'big plan' to get Lebanon out of economic crisis
by Naharnet Newsdesk 21 May 2025, 14:41 Deputy U.S. Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus has a plan to get Lebanon out of its economic crisis, the diplomat said at an Economic Forum in Qatar. "The International Monetary Fund is not the only choice," Ortagus said, adding that she has a big plan for Lebanon and a vision that allows Lebanon to become a country of investments and maybe then it would not even need the IMF loan. "If we can turn Lebanon into an investment country, we can use the investors' money and spare it further debt," she said, adding that "reforms are very important." In February the IMF said it was open to a new loan agreement with Lebanon following discussions with its recently-appointed finance minister. The previous caretaker administration did not enact reforms the IMF had demanded to implement a loan package to save the collapsed economy. The world lender "welcomed the authorities' request for a new IMF-supported program to bolster their efforts in addressing Lebanon's significant economic challenges", the IMF said in a statement. Lebanon's economic crisis has pushed most of the population below the poverty line, according to the United Nations. International donors including the IMF have called on the Lebanese authorities to implement major reforms, including restructuring the banking sector, in order to unlock funding. In April 2022, Lebanon and the IMF reached conditional agreement on a $3-billion-dollar loan package but painful reforms that the 46-month financing program would require have not been undertaken. Ortagus also called at the Qatar conference for the full disarmament of Hezbollah, "not just south of the Litani."
Nahar Net
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Ortagus says Lebanon has 'more' to do on Hezbollah disarming
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 May 2025, 15:59 Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah following the war between the Iran-backed group and Israel, Deputy U.S. Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said Tuesday. As part of a deal agreed to end 14 months of fighting last November, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of Lebanon's Litani River, while Israel was to pull all its forces from south Lebanon. The Lebanese Army has been deploying in the area as Israeli forces have withdrawn and has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure there. U.N. peacekeepers are also present in the area and play a role in supervising the ceasefire. Lebanese authorities "have done more in the last six months than they probably have in the last 15 years," Ortagus said at the Qatar Economic Forum referring to efforts to disarm Hezbollah. "However, there's a lot more to go," she added. "We in the United States have called for the full disarmament of Hezbollah. And so that doesn't mean just south of the Litani. That means in the whole country," Ortagus said at the Qatar conference calling on Lebanese politicians "to make a decision." Israel has continued to launch raids on Lebanon despite the ceasefire. Last month, President Joseph Aoun said the army was deployed in more than 85 percent of Lebanon's south, and that the sole obstacle to full control across the frontier area was "Israel's occupation of five border positions". In defiance of the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli military continues to occupy five positions close to the border that it has declared to be strategic.
