Lebanon has ‘more’ to do in disarming Hezbollah, US envoy says

DOHA, Qatar — Lebanon still has “more” to do in disarming Hezbollah following the war between the Iran-backed terror group and Israel, Deputy US Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus says.

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The Lebanese army has been deploying in the area as Israeli forces have withdrawn and have been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure there.

UN 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 says at the Qatar Economic Forum, referring to efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

“However, there’s a lot more to go,” she adds.

“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 says at the Qatar conference, calling on Lebanese politicians “to make a decision.”