BEIRUT, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday held a series of meetings with foreign envoys and officials to discuss steps aimed at restoring calm and strengthening stability in southern Lebanon amid mounting concern over intensified Israeli attacks.
In his meeting with U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, Aoun emphasized the importance of activating the ceasefire monitoring committee to halt Israeli violations and attacks on Lebanese territory, according to Lebanon's official National News Agency.
He also emphasized enabling the Lebanese army's complete deployment along the southern border and facilitating the return of displaced southern residents to their homes.
Ortagus, the deputy U.S. Envoy to the Middle East, did not issue a statement. She also met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri during the visit.
The meetings came as Israel intensified its strikes on Lebanon's south and east in recent days, killing more than a dozen people, most of them Hezbollah members, according to Lebanese security sources.
Another U.S. envoy, Tom Barrack, warned last week that Hezbollah may face a new confrontation with Israel if Lebanese authorities fail to act quickly to disarm the group in full, which Hezbollah has rejected doing so far.
Aoun also met with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, who said a return to war in Lebanon was "highly unlikely." He described his talks with Aoun as analytical, focusing on regional and international developments. "I sensed that President Aoun is confident Lebanon is on the right path and has faith in its future," Aboul Gheit said.
In another meeting, Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad reaffirmed Cairo's full support for Lebanon's stability, saying Egypt "stands ready to help Lebanon restore calm in the south and end the security unrest." Aoun thanked Egypt for its continued support and welcomed its role in easing tensions and countering Israeli violations.
Since November 27, 2024, a U.S.- and France-brokered ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect, largely halting confrontations triggered by the war in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the agreement, the Israeli army occasionally carries out strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are to eliminate Hezbollah "threats," and maintains its forces at five main points along the Lebanese border. ■
