Could Trump’s aid freeze to Lebanon army threaten fragile Israel ceasefire?
US funding to Lebanon's armed forces remained in limbo despite the State Department backpedaling on its near-total halt to foreign aid abroad.
WASHINGTON — Nearly $100 million in US funds set aside to support Lebanon’s military remains in limbo more than a week after the Trump administration halted foreign aid, two sources close to the matter told Al-Monitor.
The fate of the funds remains uncertain despite an apparent partial reversal by the US State Department earlier this week, the sources said.
What happened: As one of its final acts in office, former President Joe Biden’s administration shifted roughly $95 million to the Lebanese government. Most of that has been slated for the Lebanese military as it moves to secure a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The funds had previously been allocated for Israel and Egypt, the Associated Press first reported.
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting all US foreign stabilization aid abroad for 90 days, pending review. The order was interpreted by senior Trump administration officials, among them Peter Marocco, to include all foreign assistance, two sources briefed on the process told Al-Monitor.
