Ceasefire committee convenes in presence of Ortagus and CENTCOM chief

The U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring committee convened Sunday in Ras al-Naqoura in the presence of U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus and U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper.

Ortagus had arrived earlier in the day at the Rafik Hariri International Airport and Cooper had met with President Joseph Aoun and Israeli officials in recent days.

Ad-Diyar newspaper said the U.S. meetings in Lebanon will revolve around the Lebanese Army’s capabilities and needs.

Asharq al-Awsat newspaper meanwhile said that Ortagus’ visit would carry the first U.S. reaction to the decision that was taken buy the Lebanese cabinet on Friday, after the Lebanese Army was given the signal to implement a plan to disarm Hezbollah and the other armed groups in the country.

The Lebanese government’s statement was met with conflicting interpretations in the country, while France welcomed the move and called it a “new positive step.”

Admiral Cooper had on Saturday lauded the Lebanese Army’s work in south Lebanon, stressing that the U.S. will continue to provide it with assistance. He also said that the ceasefire committee, known as the Mechanism, would convene Sunday to discuss the situation in the South and work on consolidating stability in it through the continued implementation of the November ceasefire agreement.

Amid heavy pressure from the United States and fears Israel might intensify its military operations, the government last month ordered the army to draw up a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year.

At a meeting on Friday snubbed by Hezbollah and its allies, the cabinet welcomed the army's plan.

Speaking afterwards, Information Minister Paul Morcos said the army would begin implementing the plan "in accordance with the available capabilities".

He said the army commander had warned of "constraints" on the plan's implementation, particularly "Israeli attacks", and gave no timeframe for the operation.

A government statement conditioned progress on "the commitment of other parties, foremost Israel".

The government says Hezbollah's disarmament is part of the implementation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended more than a year of hostilities between its fighters and Israel in November.

Israel has kept up its strikes on Hezbollah targets despite the truce, saying they will continue until the group has been disarmed.

It has also maintained troops in five places in the south it deems strategic.