By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

An already troubled ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon is looking shakier than ever.

Lebanese officials have been informed that U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus will visit Lebanon on the day that follows Pope Leo’s trip to Lebanon, MTV and al-Akhbar newspaper have reported.

Informed officials sources meanwhile told the al-Joumhouria daily that Ortagus might be coming to take part in the Mechanism committee’s next meeting, ruling out any meetings for her with senior political officials.

Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday that “Hezbollah’s presence has become more necessary to Lebanon than water and bread.”

“Hezbollah has been a rescuer of the Lebanese people,” the adviser suggested.

In one afternoon, Amani Bazzi went from being a doting mother-of-four to a widow grieving three young children.

An Israeli strike in south Lebanon killed them as the family was returning home after having lunch with her parents.

Visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned during an overnight dinner of a new Israeli war on Lebanon, MTV reported on Wednesday.

Abdelatty said that such a war will not be limited to aerial strikes, the TV network added.

Lebanon and Cyprus on Wednesday signed a treaty to demarcate their maritime border, with the Cypriot president calling it a “strategic achievement that sends a strong message.”

The treaty ends an almost 20-year impasse that had stalled some oil and gas exploration in the Mediterranean Sea, as Europe seeks alternatives to Russian fuel.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has said that Israel's occupation of five hills in south Lebanon is obstructing Hezbollah's disarmament, as he called for unity among Christians and for keeping Lebanon out from regional conflicts.

In an interview Tuesday with al-Jadeed, al-Rahi praised President Joseph Aoun and Army chief Rodolphe Haykal. "Aoun is making diplomatic efforts and Haykal is doing a great job," he said, explaining that he is against pressuring the army to disarm Hezbollah by force.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday warned there would be "no calm" in Lebanon if Israel's security was not guaranteed, as Israeli forces intensify operations despite a year-old ceasefire with Hezbollah.

"We will not allow any threats against the inhabitants of the north, and maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify," Katz told the Israeli parliament.

Pope Leo XIV told journalists Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo in Italy that he is "very happy to be able to visit Lebanon."

Leo XIV said that Israel's strike on Beirut's southern suburb this weekend is a serious cause for concern, urging everyone to find ways to abandon the use of weapons as a means of solving problems.

One year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army still maintains five positions in south Lebanon, with fortifications and widened access routes, according to satellite images analyzed by AFP.

The November 27, 2024 truce, which sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, required Israel to fully withdraw troops from Lebanon within 60 days.