Issa expected to activate negotiations, Barrack may visit Beirut soon

The file of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel is expected to be activated upon the arrival in Beirut of Michel Issa, the new U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, a media report said.

Issa, who will arrive in Beirut in early November, will meet with Lebanese officials and accurately relay his administration’s stance on the Lebanese file, sources told al-Binaa newspaper in remarks published Wednesday.

Al-Liwaa newspaper meanwhile said that U.S. envoy Tom Barrack is readying to return to Lebanon and will be in Beirut on November 7, citing unofficial reports.

Barrack sparked alarm in Lebanon on Monday when he warned that there might be a “major confrontation” between Israel and Hezbollah if Beirut does not take serious steps toward disarming the group.

Barrack added that U.S. President Donald Trump’s “newly appointed and extremely capable Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, arrives in Beirut next month to help Lebanon steer a steady course through these complex issues,” stressing that “now is the time for Lebanon to act.”