Egypt offers to help 'stabilise' situation in south Lebanon amid spike in Israeli attacks

President Joseph Aoun has held talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Beirut

Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, centre, arrives to meet Lebanon's parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. EPA

Egypt on Tuesday expressed willingness to help Lebanon address the security situation in its southern region, which has faced repeated Israeli attacks despite a ceasefire agreed nearly a year ago with Hezbollah.

The offer came during a meeting in Beirut between President Joseph Aoun and the Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, said Mr Aoun's office.

Mr Rashad “expressed his country's readiness to help stabilise the south and end the volatile security situation there. He also reiterated Egypt's support for Lebanon”. They also discussed “ways to leverage” the ceasefire in Gaza – which Cairo was instrumental in – and the Sharm El-Sheikh summit into Lebanon.

Mr Rashad, the US deputy envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus and the Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit were all in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday amid heightened concerns over the recent increase in Israeli attacks, which killed five people in southern and eastern Lebanon a day earlier.

Ms Ortagus held meetings with Mr Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in which they discussed Israel's repeated breaches of its ceasefire with Hezbollah.

She was also expected to attend a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee, headed by US Maj Gen Joseph Clearfield. She arrived in Beirut on Monday directly from Israel, where she visited the Lebanese border with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.

Mr Salam told Ms Ortagus a central goal of any negotiations was ending Israel's bombardment and the withdrawal of its military from Lebanese territory. He also demanded greater support for Lebanon's security forces to help bring all weapons under state control.

While Israel has carried out almost daily attacks since the ceasefire came into effect last November, their scope and intensity have increased in recent weeks. Lebanon wants to strengthen a US-led committee tasked with overseeing the ceasefire, while the US is seeking to encourage direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

“The return of the war is possible, but from my point of view, it is very unlikely, especially in light of the dialogue with the United States,” Mr Aboul Gheit said after a meeting with Mr Aoun, pointing to American efforts to persuade Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.

Under pressure from the US, the Lebanese government has moved to begin disarming Hezbollah, a plan fiercely opposed by the Iran-backed group and its allies. Israel has accused Hezbollah of seeking to strengthen after losing its top leadership and much of its arsenal in the war last year.

“There is only one message delivered to Lebanon – do your duties and we will help. Don’t do your duties and we will not be able to help,” said a source close to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry. “Obviously, things are not working at the speed it is supposed to go forward in Lebanon ... everybody wants to avoid further escalation”.

Ms Ortagus was noticeably muted after her meetings and did not make any statements. Lebanon's Deputy Speaker of parliament Elias Bou Saab said Ms Ortagus had discussed with Mr Berri “the issue of direct or indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel”.

Mr Aoun has called for indirect negotiations with Israel to demarcate the contested land border and to halt its attacks on Lebanon.