Ortagus meets Aoun and Berri, reportedly proposes indirect talks involving 'civilians'

U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus on Tuesday held meetings with President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri and was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

A Presidency statement said Aoun emphasized the need to activate the work of the Mechanism ceasefire monitoring committee, especially in terms of “halting the continuous Israeli attacks on Lebanon and implementing Resolution 1701 in the South to enable the Lebanese Army to complete its deployment up to the southern international border.”

The president also underscored “the need to enable southern citizens to return to their homes and repair the damaged houses, especially as the winter season approaches.”

Unnamed sources meanwhile told Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel that "Ortagus informed President Aoun that Washington is satisfied with the army's implementation of the arms monopolization plan."

A statement issued by Berri’s office said the talks tackled “the general situations and the military developments related to the daily Israeli violations and attacks on Lebanon, in addition to the work of the five-party technical ceasefire monitoring committee (Mechanism) and the activation of its work.”

MTV reported that Ortagus proposed to Berri two choices: “direct talks with Israel” or “indirect negotiations through the Mechanism committee, which might be expanded to involve civilians.”

“This could be the exit that is being worked on,” MTV said.

Al-Jadeed television reported similar information.

Ortagus also relayed to Berri “what is being rumored about the smuggling of arms from Syria to Lebanon and said the U.S. administration has not yet verified this issue,” MTV added.

“She did not endorse the Israeli claim but relayed it as it is and expressed concerns should it turn out to be true,” the TV network said.

Al-Jadeed television meanwhile said that Ortagus "did not carry any warning message to President Aoun and there was a focus on a format for activating the Mechanism committee and speeding up its work."

"Aoun is relieved over his meeting with Ortagus and all the talk about intimidation and war threats carried by the U.S. envoy is baseless," MTV added.

"In her meeting with Aoun, Ortagus also proposed expanding the work of the Mechanism committee and expressed the U.S. administration’s readiness to help Lebanon in its proposals," MTV said.

U.S. sources had told MTV overnight that it is not true that Israel has rejected indirect negotiations with Lebanon.

“There is no threat that a war might erupt and these claims are fabricated,” the sources added, noting that “Ortagus will continue the work she has been doing with the Mechanism committee.”

“Ortagus will focus in her discussions on the need to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding and re-arming itself, and U.S. Ambassdor Michel Issa will work on the issue once he assumed his missions,” the U.S. sources said.