Ortagus says there is a chance for peace between Israel and Lebanon — Jerusalem Post
Former U.S. special envoy for Lebanon Morgan Ortagus said that an opportunity for a peace agreement and normalization of relations has emerged between Israel and Lebanon after Hezbollah was weakened. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, she said that the impetus for such prospects, according to her, did not come from Washington: Lebanese people told her about the need to seize the chance for peace.
Ortagus linked the change in the situation to Israel's strikes on Hezbollah's leadership and military infrastructure, including the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024. In her view, the weakening of the group gave the Lebanese state an opportunity to regain political and economic agency and subsequently strengthen its military role in areas where Hezbollah's influence had been significant.
Military meetings
According to Ortagus, after Israel released five Lebanese prisoners in March 2025, she revived the mechanism of military meetings established after the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024. At meetings in southern Lebanon, Israeli and Lebanese officers communicated directly in the same room.
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She noted that regular contacts facilitated a transition to civilian negotiations. At the same time, Ortagus stressed that there is still no peace agreement and that she cannot predict when the talks will lead to a final deal.
Reconstruction and Iran
Ortagus called funding one of the main obstacles to rebuilding southern Lebanon. In her assessment, potential donors need confidence that Hezbollah will not regain influence in the rebuilt areas. She also considers it important to convince Lebanon's Shiite population of the benefits of normal relations with Israel compared with dependence on Iran.
The former envoy linked the possible disarmament of Hezbollah to a broader U.S. strategy toward Iran. She stated that sanctions alone are insufficient and that economic, military, and diplomatic measures must be applied comprehensively.
