BEIRUT(The COW News Digital)Lebanon’s president has formally asked the United States to use its influence to stop ongoing Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory and to reactivate the international mechanism charged with monitoring the fragile ceasefire, officials said on Thursday.
President Joseph Aoun made the appeal during a meeting at Baabda Palace with U.S. Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus, stressing the urgent need to “activate the work of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Committee” so it can play an effective role in curbing what Lebanese authorities describe as repeated Israeli violations.
A statement from the presidency quoted Aoun as pressing for concrete steps to halt near-daily Israeli raids that have hit southern and eastern Lebanon in recent weeks. Lebanese officials say the strikes have caused casualties and forced waves of displacement in border areas, aggravating an already fragile humanitarian situation.
Aoun also urged that displaced residents of southern Lebanon be allowed to return to their homes and called for international support to rebuild houses destroyed in the strikes. He warned that the onset of winter would make life in temporary shelters and tents dangerously difficult unless reconstruction and returns are accelerated.
Washington’s envoy visited Beirut amid mounting regional tensions and amid U.S. diplomatic pressure on Lebanon to assert state control over armed groups. Ortagus has been carrying Washington’s dual message: a call for Lebanon to prevent escalation on its soil, and a push for measures aimed at curbing the influence and armament of militias in the south. Lebanese leaders, however, insist that any lasting de-escalation requires Israel to halt what they describe as violations of last year’s ceasefire.
International analysts say reviving the monitoring committee — which includes representatives from the United States, France and other parties to the truce — could provide a diplomatic channel to reduce immediate tensions. But they caution that without tangible steps on the ground, such as verified cessation of strikes and credible plans for the safe return of civilians, the risk of a wider confrontation will persist.
As diplomacy continues, Beirut is appealing to Washington and other partners to play a mediating role that protects civilians, enforces the ceasefire terms, and supports reconstruction — measures Lebanon says are essential for preventing a renewed cycle of violence in the border region.
