Israel, Lebanon tell US they're committed to ceasefire

Israel and Lebanon both told the White House on Monday that despite the recent flare-ups on the border they are committed to the ceasefire agreement and want it to continue, sources with knowledge of the issue told U.S. news portal Axios.

The Biden administration has been concerned the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon could unravel after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire in recent days, U.S. officials said.

The Biden administration has privately expressed concern to the Israelis about several of their strike in Lebanon in recent days.

"The Israelis have been playing a dangerous game in recent days," a U.S. official told Axios.

The Israeli Air Force conducted several airstrikes in recent days against alleged Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon.

On Monday, Hezbollah fired two mortar shells towards Israeli positions in the occupied Shebaa Farms. It was the first Hezbollah attack since the ceasefire was announced last week.

Israel retaliated with a wider attack later on Monday, striking "Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon," the Israeli army said in a statement.

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer met on Monday at the White House with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and told him Israel wants to maintain the ceasefire, one Israeli official and a source with knowledge of the meeting said.

Sullivan told Dermer Israel "has the right under international law to defend itself against direct threats from Lebanon," the source with knowledge of the meeting told Axios.

U.S. President Joe Biden's senior adviser Amos Hochstein spoke on Monday to Lebanese and Israeli officials who stressed their commitment to the ceasefire, the source said.

The source added that Hochstein told both Israeli and Lebanese officials that the U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism established under the agreement should be notified of violations so that it can address them.

U.S. General Jasper Jeffers arrived in Beirut last week to serve as the military co-chair for the implementation and monitoring mechanism, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The mechanism will also include French military officers and representative of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Israeli army and UNIFIL.