US diplomatic activity in Beirut... and Ambassador Issa: Lebanese-Israeli negotiation atmosphere is "positive"
Beirut — Mansour Shaaban
The US Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, described the atmosphere of his visit to the second presidential residence, where Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri resides, in the Ain el-Tineh suburb near the sea-facing Ramlet el-Baida area, as “positive.” Regarding the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and the timing of the eighth round, he stated: “The atmosphere is positive… and the negotiations will continue, but no date has been set yet for the next round.”
In response to a journalist’s question about “pilot areas” and whether there are other such areas, Ambassador Michel Issa said: “First, we must determine the status of the current areas, and then the other areas will follow.”
When asked about the countries that will participate in the monitoring mechanism, he replied: “There is a list of countries we are talking to, but no country has been identified so far.”
Regarding the reason for the visit of General Joseph Clerfeld, head of the Special Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, to Beirut, Issa answered: “To clarify matters as they are, especially for President Nabih Berri. And to explain what is happening on the ground.”
For his part, President Nabih Berri, during his reception of Ambassador Issa, General Clerfeld, and the accompanying military delegation, affirmed that Israel has not stopped its violations and attacks on Lebanon and the South since November 2024. He noted that these attacks continue systematically to destroy villages, plow up fields and agricultural lands, burn forested areas, and target heritage sites and cultural legacy.
President Berri stressed that the key to stability lies in the necessity of compelling Israel to halt the war and withdraw to the international borders.
The attendees discussed the field situation in the South, the pilot areas, and the mechanism for verifying the Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese Army.
At the Saeb Salam Government Building (Saray), Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam received the American delegation. Discussions focused on the military aspect of the negotiating framework and developments on the ground in the South. Salam stressed “the necessity of Israel halting its destruction operations, expanding the scope of the pilot areas, and establishing a clear timeline for the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.”
In Deir el-Qamar, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi received US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and his wife. Patriarch al-Rahi welcomed Ambassador Issa, praised his diplomatic mission, and addressed him by saying: “You are a man of peace.”
The meeting featured a general discussion on the situation in Lebanon, the importance of enhancing an atmosphere of reassurance and stability, and prioritizing the language of dialogue and peace, in order to safeguard Lebanon and its people and secure a safer and more stable future for them.
The meeting emphasized “the importance of continuing efforts aimed at consolidating peace and protecting Lebanon from the repercussions of crises, amid the challenges faced by Lebanese people and their aspirations for a phase dominated by security and stability.”
The two sides held a short retreat afterward. Ambassador Issa stated: “This is my first visit” to the region, expressing his “great admiration for the beauty of the place.” He clarified that “this visit comes, as usual, within the framework of his keenness to observe and learn about what is happening, considering that the Patriarch, as a representative of a large community in Lebanon, is keen to know the truth about the situation and what the Lebanese are experiencing.”
He added: “We are working for the benefit of Lebanon, and we are working so that Lebanon regains the prestige we knew in the past, and so that peace returns to this country.”
Ambassador Issa concluded by emphasizing that he has no message “left or right,” but rather a single message directed to everyone: “Working for one Lebanon, and restoring its prestige, stability, and peace.”
