Normalization with Israel 'unthinkable' and Ortagus did not mention it, Berri says

Parliament Speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri has told Deputy U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus that her past stances were not "encouraging" but said his meeting Saturday with her was "positive", al-Joumhouria newspaper said Monday.

In her last visit to war-hit Lebanon on February, Ortagus voiced from Baabda pro-Israel statements. "We are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah," Ortagus said, adding that the United States has set a "red line" that Hezbollah should not be a member of Lebanon's next government.

Berri, who helped broker the ceasefire with Israel criticized continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beirut suburbs, accusing Israel of violating the truce and U.N. Resolution 1701, as he met Ortagus Saturday. He also criticized the Israeli occupation of five strategic hills in south Lebanon and the release of the Lebanese detained in Israeli prisons.

Al-Joumhouria's sources quoted Berri as saying that Ortagus did not threaten Lebanon and did not call for normalizing ties with Israel. "The Israelis themselves have not raised the issue, so why are some of us rushing into normalization?" Berri was quoted as saying. "Normalizing ties with Israel is unacceptable and unthinkable."

Ortagus also met in Lebanon with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. She emphasized the need for the Lebanese Army to assert control over all Lebanese territory, not just south of the Litani River.

In a statement on X, Aoun described his meeting with Ortagus as "constructive."