Ortagus is thought to be attempting to pressure Lebanon into accepting normalisation with Israel [Getty]
The US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus will arrive in Beirut on Wednesday, amid fears that Lebanon's fragile truce with Israel could collapse.
Ortagus is expected to meet with Lebanese officials on Friday, on what will be her second trip to Beirut since Trump's return to the White House, according to The New Arab's Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Her visit comes as Israel once again launched deadly airstrikes on Lebanon despite the ceasefire, with many Lebanese fearing it could collapse at any moment.
On Tuesday, Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs, killing a Hezbollah official and three civilians, Lebanon's health ministry said, putting further pressure on the current truce that came into force in November.
The strike also injured seven people, the health ministry said.
While the US has said it favours diplomacy prevailing and the ceasefire holding in Lebanon, it has also given enthusiastic support to Israel's recent attacks on the country.
On Friday, Ortagus blamed Lebanon for breaking the ceasefire, ignoring dozens of Israeli violations, claiming Beirut had failed to reign in "terrorist groups" from firing rockets at southern Israel.
Ortagus was referring to an incident last month that saw rockets fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Nobody has claimed responsibility, but several people suspected to have a role in the attacks have been arrested.
The incident has seen an increase in US-led pressure to fully disarm Hezbollah and launch direct negotiations to normalise relations between Lebanon and Israel.
Israel continues to occupy five points in the south of Lebanon, in violation of the ceasefire. This is now being used as trump card by the US to push Beirut into normalisation with Tel Aviv.
However, Lebanese President Michael Aoun has dismissed such pressure.
"The diplomatic option is the only choice to implement the (ceasefire) agreement and secure Israel’s withdrawal from the points it is occupying (in south Lebanon)," Aoun said, adding that "any negotiations over normalization are not currently on the table".
Aoun further said that Lebanon remains committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which says that Arab states will only normalise ties with Israel in return for a full withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon, and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.