U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein’s recent visit to Beirut, his final stop in the region under President Joe Biden’s administration, was largely dominated by discussions about Lebanon’s presidential election, with little focus on the situation in southern Lebanon. 

In talks with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, both leaders emphasized the need for Israel to abide by the terms of the ceasefire and withdraw from the towns it had occupied south of the Litani River. They also stressed the importance of Lebanese Army units replacing Israeli forces in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In response, Hochstein reiterated that the U.S. administration is fully committed to ensuring security in southern Lebanon.

"There is no going back," Hochstein reportedly told Lebanese officials, stressing that the U.S. will continue to support the implementation of the agreement.

According to Al-Arabiya, Hochstein also acknowledged the considerable difficulties in implementing the ceasefire deal, not just from Israel’s side but also due to the vast stockpile of weapons and missile platforms belonging to Hezbollah. The Israeli army had uncovered and destroyed significant amounts of Hezbollah’s weaponry, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Hochstein remarked that it would have been in Hezbollah’s best interest to have surrendered these arms to the Lebanese Army rather than engage in conflict.

The U.S. envoy further expressed that the money spent on weaponry would have been far better invested in development projects that could have benefited all Lebanese citizens, rather than being squandered in this way.

In recent months, the Israeli army has seized large quantities of Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanon and transferred them to its own storage facilities. This underscores the ongoing challenges in ensuring the full implementation of the ceasefire.

Since November 27, the ceasefire agreement, brokered by the U.S., has been in effect. It includes provisions for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and the dismantling of armed groups and structures in the region. While the agreement aims to bring peace and stability, the road to its full implementation remains uncertain.