Senior US official states Israel failed to keep Hezbollah-Israel truce
(MENAFN) A senior US official has acknowledged that the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel has failed to stop the violence, pointing to unresolved issues that continue to fuel the conflict.
“The bottom line is, you have a cessation of hostilities agreement that's in effect, it didn't work, right? So, there's reasons why that cessation of hostilities agreement didn't work, which is part of what we're all trying to solve,” the US Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, told reporters during a visit to Beirut.
The truce was initially agreed upon following intense cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted into full-scale conflict in September 2024. Although both sides reached a ceasefire in November, hostilities have largely continued. Israeli military operations have persisted in southern Lebanon, often justified by claims of targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
As part of the deal, Israel had committed to a complete withdrawal from southern Lebanese territory by January 26. However, when that deadline passed without compliance, an extension was granted until February 18. Despite this, Israel reportedly continues to occupy five outposts near the border.
Turning to the worsening security conditions in Syria’s Suwayda province, Barrack called for the Syrian government to take responsibility and restore order. “What's happened is horrible, it's unthinkable. And the hope is that out of this, a consolidation of these issues occurs quicker,” he said. “You have a Syrian government, in effect, they need to be held accountable. They also need to be given the responsibility that they're there to do.”
Barrack further emphasized Washington’s humanitarian focus on Syria, highlighting the need for minority-inclusive governance and regional coordination. “The US has reacted to all the events in Syria is with unbelievable concern, pain, empathy, aid and a realization that in these young, nascent governing entities that are trying to be inclusive of minorities, how important the process of that inclusion and communication is, and the coordination of that with its neighbor, which is Israel.”
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