Mon 07 April 2025:

US Envoy Morgan Ortagus made the comments in an interview with Lebanese broadcaster LBCI at the end of a three-day visit to Beirut, where she met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, PM Nawaf Salam, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and other officials and political representatives.

Ortagus said Hezbollah and other armed groups should be disarmed “as soon as possible” and that Lebanese troops were expected to do the job.

“It’s clear that Hezbollah has to be disarmed and it’s clear that Israel is not going to accept terrorists shooting at them, into their country, and that’s a position we understand,” she said.

“We continue to press on this government to fully fulfill the cessation of hostilities and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias.”

Asked whether the US had set a timeline for the disarmament to take place, Ortagus said: “As soon as possible.”

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Fragile truce

That agreement, guaranteed by France and the United States, brought a halt to a yearlong conflict and mandated that Israeli ground troops withdraw from southern Lebanon.

It also called for Hezbollah fighters to withdraw from the south, beyond the Litani River and the United Nations designated temporary border, the Blue Line, and for Lebanese troops to deploy there.

Both sides, however, have accused each other of violations.

Israel delayed a promised troop withdrawal in January and has continued to occupy several hilltops in south Lebanon. It has also carried out near-daily attacks on the country, claiming it was striking Hezbollah fighters and weapons.

Its military launched the attack on Beirut on Friday saying the raid was in response to rockets fired from Lebanon.

Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the rocket firings.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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