Berri received U.S. Representatives Darin LaHood and Josh Gottheimer at his office in Ain el-Tineh, in the presence of U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Keith Hanigan and Berri’s media adviser Ali Hamdan, according to a statement from Berri’s office.
The meeting focused on developments in Lebanon and the wider region, as well as the situation on the ground amid what Berri described as Israel’s failure to comply with the ceasefire agreement and its continued military operations in Lebanon.
Berri said Israel’s continued violations of agreements reached to end the fighting were the main obstacle to implementing the ceasefire arrangement. He also accused Israel of systematically destroying villages and infrastructure.
He said the U.S. administration and President Donald Trump were the only parties capable of exerting pressure on Israel to halt its military operations in Lebanon.
Berri warned that continued fighting would undermine efforts aimed at strengthening the Lebanese state and enabling its institutions to carry out their responsibilities.
The meeting came as Lebanon faces continued security tensions along its southern border and international discussions over the future of UNIFIL, which has been deployed in southern Lebanon to help maintain stability and support implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.