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This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon., members such as Brian Jeffrey Mast.
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June 29, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextDIRECTING THE PRESIDENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(c) OF THE WAR POWERS
RESOLUTION TO REMOVE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM LEBANON
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to order of the House of June 29, 2026, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 108) directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the concurrent resolution is considered read.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 108
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM ANY
HOSTILITIES IN LEBANON.
Termination.—Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers
Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress directs the
President to remove the United States Armed Forces from any
hostilities in Lebanon by not later than the date that is 7
days after the date of the adoption of this concurrent
resolution.
SEC. 2 RULE OF CONSTRUCTION RELATING TO CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.
Nothing in this concurrent resolution may be construed to
prevent or limit security cooperation with the Lebanese Armed
Forces or the protection of diplomatic facilities.
SEC. 3 RULE OF CONSTRUCTION RELATING TO THE NONAUTHORIZATION
OF THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE.
Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers
Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1547(a)(1)), nothing in this concurrent
resolution may be construed as authorizing the use of
military force.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The concurrent resolution shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by Representative Mast of Florida and Representative Meeks of New York, or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 108. While I voted against a previous iteration of this resolution, I believe this updated version has corrected the flaws of H. Con. Res. 84.
constitutional authority over matters of war and peace that will not infringe upon America's national security interests in Lebanon, while ensuring we stay out of another forever war that is not in our national interest.
trilateral framework between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States. I welcome this agreement, which represents a critical step away from continued escalation and violence.
However, what comes next is most critical: Ensuring a ceasefire is indeed observed by all, fully disarming Hezbollah, and preserving Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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in both Lebanon and Israel have suffered the consequences of continued strikes by both Hezbollah and the Israeli military.
support efforts by both the Israeli and Lebanese Governments to ensure the safety and security of their people.
citizens, and Israel has a right to defend itself. However, this does not justify disproportionate airstrikes which have killed too many civilians, including medical workers and journalists, as well as destroyed civilian infrastructure throughout Lebanon.
Israel, I note with deep concern the Israeli Defense Minister's public pronouncement to destroy all homes in southern Lebanon border villages and “follow the Rafah and Beit Hanoun model in Gaza” where the Israeli military systematically destroyed thousands of Palestinian homes and civilian infrastructure. These are not words of self-defense. They are the language of collective punishment, and that must be condemned.
stability for both Israelis and the Lebanese, I will state for the record that, to my knowledge, United States Forces are not currently engaged in any active hostilities in Lebanon with the Israeli military. Nonetheless, this resolution ensures that does not change without congressional authorization. We must not enter another illegal, reckless, and counterproductive war in the Middle East.
While this resolution prohibits U.S. Forces from engaging in hostilities in Lebanon, it makes clear it shall not prevent or in any way limit the important mission that the United States Armed Forces are engaged in with Lebanon; that is, the longstanding training and support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, also known as the LAF, which are critical to Lebanon's stability and that of the region.
years, I deeply understand and appreciate the importance of supporting building up Lebanon's Armed Forces—a goal which successive administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have furthered. Protecting that mission, which has enjoyed bipartisan support across administrations, is precisely why this resolution is carefully drafted to preserve it.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I oppose this resolution. However, I will say that I am very glad to hear the debate offered by my colleague, Ranking Member Meeks. He spoke about Hezbollah. We went through an entire debate several weeks ago where the opposition refused to mention that Hezbollah even existed, so I am glad to hear Ranking Member Meeks bring that up.
that is their MO. Israel specifically targeting terrorists, that is what is going on here.
exercise before, and I am glad to hear the ranking member acknowledge that the United States is not engaged in any hostilities in Lebanon against Hezbollah. The U.S. is not at war in Lebanon. The U.S. is not engaged in hostilities in Lebanon. There are not U.S. combat forces conducting operations or engaged in hostilities in Lebanon.
They are training the Lebanese Armed Forces. Why are they training them? Because there are at least 40,000, probably more, Hezbollah terrorists spread across the south of Lebanon that are actively engaged in targeting Israel and have been doing so for many years. Israel is over there doing a good job working to wipe those terrorists out right now, but this resolution is impossible to implement. Even if it passed, could the author explain to me which forces would be removed? If we don't have combat forces there, what forces are being removed? That is a very commonsense question. I don't think we will get an answer to it, Mr. Speaker.
I will say something else that I am glad about in today's debate: The really stupid mistake that was made in the last attempt to do this was removed, where the author was seeking to remove the marines from our embassies, from the gates, from the front doors. I am glad that that was removed from this one, thankfully.
fails to mention and what the author of this bill I think wants to avoid.
organizations. They have killed hundreds of Americans, which makes it interesting to me that my colleague, who opened the remarks saying that it is not in our national interest to address them, they have killed hundreds of Americans. That is a pretty damn big national interest to me.
As a U.S. servicemember, as an American, as somebody with teenagers that will hopefully put on a uniform in defense of this country at some point, I would say it is in our national interest. But, again, they are one of the world's most capable, dangerous terrorist organizations who have killed hundreds of Americans and attacked U.S. diplomatic and military personnel over and over again.
especially, again, the author of this bill last time failed to even mention the word “Hezbollah” or refused to mention the word “Hezbollah” because this resolution is a win for terrorists. That is what it is.
should it belong to, should Lebanon belong to the Lebanese or should Lebanon belong to the terrorists, this resolution is a win for Lebanon to belong to terrorists.
The Lebanese Government wants the fighting to stop. Israel wants the fighting to stop. Who is it that wants the fighting to continue? That would be the one entity that is supported by this resolution, and that is Hezbollah.
This is not about U.S. Forces. As was acknowledged already by my colleague, the ranking member, there are no U.S. Forces engaged in hostilities, and we all know that. Again, there are no forces fighting in Lebanon.
This resolution is to undermine our national security. It is to embolden Hezbollah, which it absolutely does. Just its presence on the floor here, just its mere being brought up here emboldens Hezbollah and other terrorists, and all for the sake of political messaging.
I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill. It is just as ridiculous—well, it is not quite as ridiculous this time as it was last time, given that it did finally remove that we wouldn't have to take our marines out of the embassy. It is not quite as ridiculous, but it is still significantly ridiculous.
I urge a “no” vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1930
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time.
schoolgirls were killed in the opening hours of our strikes on Iran. It will be remembered as one of our darkest hours.
As I stand here, over 253 children have been killed in Lebanon. Are those lives no less a tragedy? Are we so callous as to believe that when we provide intelligence, provide coordination, and green strikes, that our responsibility for the results of that work ends there?
Lebanon. We have seen this before. High-ranking members of the Israeli Government are threatening mass extermination of Lebanese civilians. They are broadcasting their intentions just as they did in Gaza.
This Congress did nothing to stop the horror that befell Gaza. This Congress took bipartisan measures to let an ally commit genocide on the Palestinian people in Gaza with our bombs, with our intelligence, and with our tax dollars. We cannot feign ignorance here again.
This resolution offers a very clear moral choice. It offers those who failed to act in Gaza a chance to do something right now.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that we would all support this resolution.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as we look at the attacks that go on, where is it that all of these Hezbollah terrorists—where is it that they hide? Where is it that they choose to encamp themselves? In the middle of civilians, on purpose.
circumstance. I have seen it play out on the battlefields that I was a part of. “Regrettable” is not a strong enough word. It is well beyond regrettable every single time that anybody trying to live their life becomes a victim of a catastrophic attack because of what they are adjacent to: the terrorists that are surrounding their community.
But that is exactly what Hezbollah does by design: embed themselves into schools, embed themselves into places of worship, embed themselves into the bedrock of any community that they can go forcefully take over.
specifically to create civilian casualties everywhere—civilian casualties around them and civilian casualties around where they launch their attacks. That is their MO.
Mr. Speaker, as I look at Hezbollah, I look at, again, what are our interests? We have labeled them and have designated them a foreign terrorist organization. That has gone on since, I want to say, the mid- 1990s that they were designated a foreign terrorist organization.
League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have all designated Hezbollah as part of a terrorist organization. They are a scourge. They are a direct arm of Iran, directly funded by Iran, receiving targets from Iran, and receiving benefits from Iran when they hit targets that Iran tells them to hit.
destroy this scourge is something that we should be supporting through the training of the LAF and supporting through our intelligence resources that are being offered.
This bill is meant to drive a stake between allies. It is meant to drive a wedge between allies. It is not meant to drive a stake into the hearts of our enemies, into the hearts of terrorists. That is the unfortunate part about it. It is meant to hurt our allies. It is not meant to hurt terrorists. That is beyond regrettable on this floor.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), the sponsor of this resolution.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, this week's vote is about immediately ending all U.S. participation in the Israeli Government's violent assault against the people of Lebanon.
apartheid regime's brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing and territorial expansion in Lebanon, and nearly 1,000 additional people have already been killed since Congress refused to pass the Lebanon War Powers Resolution earlier this month. That is 1,000 additional people in just 25 days.
their loved ones by U.S.-funded bombs and with operational and targeting support from the U.S. military. Indiscriminate bombings continue to this day. Children, medics, journalists, parents, students—everyone wants to label them as Hezbollah, but they were civilians. They were intentionally targeted.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a June 17 report from UNICEF titled: “Lebanon: 12 children killed, maimed daily, despite Hezbollah- Israel truce.”
From UN News
Lebanon: 12 Children Killed, Maimed Daily, Despite Hezbollah-Israel
Truce
More than 100 days of war reveals a shattering snapshot of
life for civilians in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes and forced
displacement, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on
Wednesday.
Since hostilities escalated between Israel and Hezbollah
militants in southern Lebanon on 2 March, 247 children have
been killed and 992 injured, an average of 12 children killed
or maimed every day, according to the agency.
“For more than three months, children in Lebanon have
lived through experiences no child should ever endure,”
UNICEF country representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi,
said in a statement issued on Wednesday following the 15 June
announcement that the United States and Iran had reached
agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding.
“We hope that this ceasefire will be indeed a real
ceasefire because since the declaration of the previous one,
violence against children and the conflict hasn't really
stopped,” he told UN News.
Dozens of violations
Despite a reduction in the intensity of hostilities, UN
peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL continue to observe
trajectories since Monday and extensive Israeli military
activity, the UN Spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Their observations include Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
high-density armoured movements, sustained logistical traffic
and large-scale engineering and demolition works across the
area alongside reports of 26 violations of Lebanese airspace
by the Israeli military between midnight and 4 pm local time
and one air attack.
Key takeaways
The humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile and
needs immense and severe despite the recent US-Iran agreement
and subsequent signs of regional de-escalation. Here are some
highlights from the latest flash update from the UN relief
agency, OCHA:
Returns remain limited and cautious despite reduced amount
of hostilities
Israeli airstrikes and seven renewed displacement orders
covering 37 localities across the South and Nabatieh
governorates triggered additional displacement between 12 and
14 June
3,798 deaths and 11,781 injuries since 2 March: Lebanese
Public Health Ministry
131,200 internally displaced persons remain in 644
collective shelters
Aid efforts reached over 1.1 million people through water
and sanitation services and 13.6 million meals delivered
2026 Lebanon Flash Appeal only 32.7 per cent funded, with
approximately $209.6 million received against $639.9 million
requested
UNIFIL recorded 312 trajectories between midnight and 4 pm
on Wednesday, a total of 291 attributed to the IDF and 21
attributed to Hezbollah, compared with, 174 and 189
trajectories were reported over 24 hour periods on Monday and
Tuesday, respectively.
“Outside UNIFIL's area of operations, we are aware of
reports of Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes
targeting multiple locations, including Nabatieh, Saida and
Jezzine, as well as repeated drone overflights over Beirut
and its southern suburbs,” the UN Spokesperson said. “At
least one strike on a vehicle in Shukin reportedly resulted
in four fatalities and several injuries.”
Seaside security
UNIFIL reported a violation of Lebanon's maritime space by
two IDF vessels conducting a patrol roughly 600 metres off
the shores of Naqoura in southern Lebanon, which is also the
home base for UN peacekeepers, the UN Spokesperson said.
UNIFIL, and its naval “blue helmets”, announced on
Wednesday ongoing efforts to assist the Lebanese navy in
assuming greater responsibility for securing its territorial
waters throughout 2026, based on an agreement signed last
December.
“A long-term stability on land is intrinsically linked to
security at sea,” said UNIFIL Force Commander Major General
Diodato Abagnara.
Where is humanity?
Widespread destruction has scarred large parts of the
country, affecting homes, schools and essential services,
including water, sanitation and hygiene systems, further
compounding already severe humanitarian needs and dealing a
devastating blow to children living through the bombings and
violence.
Mr. Corsi said a meeting with teenaged girl at a UNICEF-
supported hospital remains “stuck in my mind and my heart”.
“Collateral damage” from an attack included the deaths of
her father and three brothers, leaving her mother alive and
the girl in a coma, he said, recalling the first two
questions she asked him while she was recovering: Where is
humanity? Where is a sense of justice?
“Those are tough questions coming from a 14-year-old child
that you cannot answer,” he said. “No child should go
through that nightmare.”
Mass displacement, childhood disrupted
More than 770,000 children are experiencing heightened
distress from repeated exposure to violence, loss and
displacement, with many unable to return home because of
ongoing fighting and the threat of unexploded ordnance, Mr.
Corsi's statement declared.
“Behind these staggering figures are lives cut short or
forever changed, and families facing profound loss, trauma,
and uncertainty,” he wrote. “Many have fled their homes
multiple times, witnessed violence first-hand, lost loved
ones and seen their schools, communities and sense of safety
shattered.”
But, the numbers alone cannot convey the full scale of the
crisis, he explained.
“Beyond those killed and maimed, an entire generation of
children has seen its childhood disrupted,” he stated.
“Their sense of safety, one that every child needs to grow
and thrive, remains profoundly undermined.”
“The scale of physical and psychological harm we are
witnessing is unacceptable, and children continue to pay a
terrible price for this conflict,” the UNICEF representative
said, urgently calling for a sustained cessation of violence.
The true cost of this crisis will not only be measured in
lives lost today, but in the opportunities missed tomorrow.
Give children a chance
Children must be protected from further harm and schools,
hospitals, water systems and other civilian infrastructure
urgently safeguarded, Mr. Corsi implored.
Moreover, humanitarian access must be ensured and
international law must be respected.
“Most importantly, Lebanon's children must be given the
chance not only to survive this crisis, but to recover from
it and reclaim the future that conflict has placed at risk.”
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, that is an innocent child being killed or maimed every 2 hours in this U.S.-assisted invasion.
civilians, again, in Lebanon, in Palestine, and in Iran. It is the same genocidal playbook.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a link to a June 18 report from the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry titled: “'The essence of childhood has been destroyed': Israel's deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023.” https://www.ohchr.org/ sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/ session62/a-hrc-62-crp-2.pdf Mr. Speaker, everyone should read this horrifying report. It finds that the Israeli military deliberately targets and kills children as part of their ongoing genocide in Gaza.
When Israeli leaders talk about applying the “Gaza model” in Lebanon, this is what they mean. They never mention Hezbollah.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear. I include in the Record a link to a June 17 report from Amnesty International: “Lebanon: Israel radically expands use of unlawful mass `evacuation' orders and commits war crime of unlawful transfer.” https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ news/2026/06/lebanon-israel-radically-expands-use-of-unlawful-mass- evacuation-orders-and-commits-war-crime-of-unlawful-transfer/ Mr. Speaker, more than 1.3 million people have already been forced to leave their homes or been killed, with the Israeli military telling them that they will not be allowed to return.
Mr. Speaker, 81 Lebanese neighborhoods have been violently depopulated and demolished, erased from the map entirely.
I want to make this very clear. The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It is an active participant. The United States is currently engaged in illegal and unauthorized hostilities, supporting the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, in violation of the War Powers Act.
strikes, demonstrating overt command over the Israeli military decisions, including green-lighting specific Israeli attacks and operations.
maintenance to keep Israeli jets in the air. Without that support, those jets cannot drop bombs to kill Lebanese children.
vote to end all unauthorized U.S. participation in the destruction of Lebanon.
Israeli leaders have been open about their plans. This is about seizing Lebanon's territory, expelling its people, expanding the government of Israel's borders. This is about ethnic cleansing and what they call, in their own words, their “Greater Israel project.”
does not plan to withdraw from the territory that they seized in Lebanon and that they will forcibly displace Lebanese and the people of Lebanon will not be able to return to their homes.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a June 24 Haaretz article: “Netanyahu: Israel Won't Withdraw From Lebanon `As Long as I am Prime Minister'.”
From HAARETZ, June 24, 2026
Soldiers In, Residents Out'. Netanyahu: Israel Won't Withdraw From
Lebanon `As Long as I Am Prime Minister'
(By Noa Shpigel, Rawan Suleiman, and Yaniv Kubovich)
Defense Minister Israel Katz also said Israel will not
withdraw from the territories the IDF captured in Syria
either. `This is the security doctrine. The IDF must be on
the enemy's turf and protect the communities from within the
territory itself,' he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that
the Israeli military will not withdraw from the IDF-occupied
buffer zone in southern Lebanon as long as he is in office.
“As long as I am prime minister, we will maintain the
security zone in southern Lebanon,” he said, speaking in
MUNIEXPO conference for municipal development. “We will be
the first in the world to solve the explosive drones
problem,” he added, referring to Hezbollah's primary weapon
against Israeli soldiers since fighting in Lebanon began in
March.
Meanwhile, Lebanese reports said that two people were
killed in a drone strike on a vehicle in Kfar Roummane, near
the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Earlier on
Wednesday, the IDF said its forces struck two armed Hezbollah
operatives in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area. The IDF later said
it struck a vehicle “posing a threat to IDF soldiers” in
the same area.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of
State Marco Rubio said Israel has consistently said it has no
territorial claims in Lebanon, saying that withdrawal depends
on the Lebanese army's ability to secure its territory.
“The Israelis have been clear they don't have any quarrels
with the Lebanese people nor do they have any claims on the
territory of Lebanon,” Rubio said. “One of the issues
that's been discussed in these negotiations is about the
creation of pilot zones—specific, defined areas where the
Lebanese Armed Forces can go in, take control and secure that
territory, and then move on to the next pilot zone.”
According to Rubio, “it'll be a process. This is not going
to happen overnight.” The secretary of state added, “The
more of the area the Lebanese Army is able to secure, the
less in Hezbollah's control and the less Israel will be in
Lebanon.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz stressed
that that Israel will not withdraw from IDF-occupied areas in
Lebanon, “even if there is an American demand to do so,”
leaving 200,000 displaced Lebanese residents “who will not
return.”
“There will be no civilians and no terrorists,” Katz
said. “Why? Because what happened in the past in security
zones where there was also a civilian population was that
there were explosives and attacks against soldiers, and
therefore, we do not allow that,” he added.
“Soldiers in, residents out. The infrastructure is
destroyed, the houses are dangerous and ruined. We are not
withdrawing,” Katz said.
“We have significant achievements that began with a
terrible blow on October 7,” the defense minister continued.
“Since then, the entire people, the leadership, and the army
have acted with great determination. I am not aware of any
situation in which, without that terrible blow, someone would
have gone in to deal with the tunnels in Gaza.”
Katz also said Israel will not withdraw from the
territories the IDF captured in Syria either. “This is the
security doctrine. The IDF must be on the enemy's turf and
protect the communities from within the territory itself.”
Earlier Wednesday, the Lebanese newspaper Ad-Diyar reported
that the second round of Israel-Lebanon talks is set to take
place in Washington on Wednesday under U.S. mediation,
focused on defining the south Lebanon pilot zones to be
handed to Lebanon's Armed Forces, as well as ways to
strengthen the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to the report, the U.S. Central Command has been
tasked with establishing a military operations room to
oversee, monitor and track the situation in southern Lebanon.
The reporting suggests that this new operations room will
work with the “deconfliction cell” whose creation was
announced at U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland this week, paving
the way for the dismantling of the existing mechanism that
was set up in 2024 between Israel, the United States and
Lebanon.
According to Lebanese daily Al Akhbar, Israel is demanding
that Lebanon's army be stationed in the Ali al-Taher ridge
and destroy Hezbollah's facilities under U.S. supervision.
Israel is also demanding that Lebanon disclose the fate of
the Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in Lebanon in
1986, and propose an offer to return his remains before
Lebanese POWs are released, the report said.
Also according to the report, Israel is seeking to keep a
foothold in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon and is
requesting direct military coordination with Lebanon to carry
out these measures.
Israeli and Lebanese representatives are set to meet on
Wednesday at the U.S. State Department in Washington as part
of the fifth round of direct negotiations since the end of
the war with Iran.
The talks, which began Tuesday, are expected to continue
for three days under the supervision of Dan Haller, an
adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Discussions
will focus on the terms of the cease-fire between Israel and
Hezbollah and the redeployment of the Lebanese army in
southern Lebanon following the IDF's withdrawal.
The U.S.-brokered efforts to stabilize the border are
complicated by a new Iran-U.S. understanding that has shifted
the regional balance and, according to officials,
strengthened Hezbollah's position while weakening Beirut's
leverage.
Beirut is pressing ahead with direct negotiations even as
the process is overshadowed by Iran's decision to insert
Lebanon into its talks with the United States, and by
concerns in the Lebanese capital that the Iran-U.S.
understanding has weakened its bargaining position and raised
doubts over the utility of the talks.
Lebanese officials have insisted that face-to-face
negotiations with Israel are the only way to secure an end to
the war raging since March 2, when armed group Hezbollah
fired at Israel in support of Iran and triggered Israeli air
and ground attacks that have killed more than 4,000 people in
Lebanon.
Israel, meanwhile, has said Hezbollah's disarmament remains
a central condition for any long-term arrangement and views
the group as the main obstacle to a durable settlement.
Opening the talks on Tuesday, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel
Leiter described the process as a “train wreck” and warned
it was “in danger of going off the rails,” saying Hezbollah
may have been “emboldened” by recent developments. He added
that the original premise of the talks—that Iran would
remain outside the framework—was now in question.
He added that “there is a danger that Hezbollah has
received a boost. There is no doubt that it feels
strengthened and emboldened.” Leiter also questioned whether
dismantling Hezbollah still remains the foundation of the
talks.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he would
accept “nothing short of an end to the Israeli occupation in
southern Lebanon” and added that the current round of talks
could prove “decisive.”
According to an Israeli source, Israel is seeking solutions
that would reduce Iranian involvement in southern Lebanon.
The source said that during the negotiations, the Israeli
team is expected to present a framework for a phased IDF
withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, to be followed by
the deployment of Lebanese army forces to those areas under
U.S. backing.
The source added that it remains unclear whether an IDF
withdrawal from the Beaufort Castle area is being considered
at this stage.
Last month, Israeli troops captured a strategic mountain
topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon. The
military said it intends to remain there until further
notice, signaling a shift from previous operations in the
area that were temporary.
The capture of Beaufort Castle near the city of Nabatieh
came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby
villages, where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in
the rugged area. The Israeli push came despite a nominal
cease-fire that has been in place since April 17. Israeli
troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it
until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, what a great slogan for his campaign.
Israeli defense minister said that, in villages in south Lebanon: We are going to be destroying all the houses. The residents will never see them standing before their eyes again.
He never mentions Hezbollah.
The Israeli national security minister, in his own words said: All of Lebanon should burn . . . all of Lebanon should become our playground.
Since the beginning, Mr. Speaker, the Israeli political and military leaders have repeatedly stated that their aim is to implement the “Gaza model” in Lebanon.
reality. This is a genocidal government that we are arming and supporting as they ethnically cleanse the Lebanese people.
openly rooting for the new Lebanese civil war to further destabilize the country and prolong this invasion. It is sickening.
Mr. Speaker, to the Lebanese Government, I say: Learn the lessons of the countries before you and the lessons of Lebanon's own history. The
Israeli Government does not abide by any agreements. They have violated every single cease-fire in all the so-called peace agreements.
{time} 1940
Time and time again, a cease-fire with Israel means: You cease; they fire.
Wake up. The so-called agreement is not protecting Lebanese people. This is about apartheid government and structure expanding into your country. Do not abandon your land and your people and become another subcontractor for the Israeli occupation.
Shame on those who separate Beirut with south Lebanon. Lebanon is Lebanon. They are one people. Letting outsiders divide your people will only lead to greater instability and another civil war.
Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, on the ground, Lebanese people continue to endure horrific violence. The Israeli Government has killed 10 more Lebanese in the past 24 hours as we speak on this floor. The destruction of Lebanon continues with U.S. military support.
We must act now to save lives, no matter faith. We must end U.S. support for these atrocities and force an end to the Israeli Government's invasion and illegal military occupation of Lebanese territory.
This vote is not only about ending the invasion of Lebanon. It is about bringing an end to the disastrous war with Iran. It is connected. Israel's ongoing military occupation and campaign to destroy Lebanon threatens to undermine any chance of success for a peace deal and bring our troops home, to end the war with Iran, a war which has killed countless civilians and has caused extreme economic suffering for ordinary Americans right here at home, who are already struggling to make ends meet.
death, destruction, and endless war. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for healthcare or childcare at home—
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. TLAIB.—while watching U.S. bombs.
This vote on the Lebanon War Powers Resolution is clear.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
The gentlewoman is no longer recognized.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to unpack right there. I think I would start with this: The word “genocidal” was used. I would remind the floor that there was only one person on this floor right now who has been reprimanded for calling for genocide. That person is walking out as we speak. That person didn't want the transcript of that allowed into the Record last time. It was the person that was just speaking.
leadership, or a military that warns people to get out? That doesn't sound like ethnic cleansing: Get out. Get out if you are a civilian. Get out of this area. There are attacks coming to kill terrorists.
That is not what ethnic cleansing looks like. That is not a genocidal attack, as was the accusation.
individual left. I think, as much as we heard conversation about civilians, there was not one mention of the actual targeted civilian population, Israelis. That is the targeted civilian population, day in, day out, by Hezbollah. There was no mention of that.
resolution, which is an odd thing, to not want to debate your own resolution.
Lebanon-United States-Israel framework for peace that is going on right now.
doesn't support the Lebanese Government. I am not trying to put words in her mouth. I am trying to recall everything that was stated.
support the framework for peace, and she wants people to fight. Maybe she wants people to fight instead of peace. I am trying to unpack a lot of what was put there.
resolution is a couple of the following: Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. They are directly targeting civilians constantly in Israel. It is their day-to-day way of life. There are probably at least 40,000 of them, as we speak, in the south of Lebanon.
There are not U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in Lebanon, but the resolution demands that we remove all U.S. forces from hostilities in Lebanon. It is an impossible thing to do. The ranking member has acknowledged there are no U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in Lebanon.
against this foreign terrorist organization that was responsible for killing 63 people, 17 Americans, in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut. The Marine barracks bombing, which killed 241 U.S. servicemembers, was, again, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks against the United States of America prior to 9/11.
aircraft and brutally tortured and murdered a U.S. Navy diver, Robert Stethem. In hostage campaigns, Hezbollah would continually take hostages over and over again. There are too many stories of that to list.
facilities, and commercial aviation, that is the M.O. of Hezbollah. Since October 2023, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets, missiles, drones, and anti-tank missiles into Israel, which is holding the largest American population anywhere in the Middle East. Those are attacks against Americans indiscriminately, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate the area, and many have been killed.
civilians, diplomatic facilities, aviation, population centers, malls, cafes, buses, anyplace that they can target. Where there is an innocent civilian, that is their goal as a place to target, not military targets, but innocent civilian targets. Again, this is juxtaposed to Israel, which is conducting operations against terrorists specifically who hide among civilians, very unfortunately, but whom they give a warning to over and over again to try to get any civilians exposed to any danger out of that danger zone.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can talk more about this, but I will let the ranking member speak about what he wants. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, while I have zero confidence this administration will be transparent with Congress, let me restate clearly that I have seen no information to indicate United States Armed Forces are engaged in combat hostilities on the ground in Lebanon.
Congress' constitutional authority, one that requires the administration to come to Congress before sending U.S. forces into another war.
Conflict in Lebanon is not new. In 1975, Lebanon's Civil War began a conflict that would kill over 150,000 people in a country with a population of just several million.
multinational force. On October 23, 1983, terrorists drove two truck bombs into our Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, killing 241 of our soldiers. It was the deadliest day for our Marines since World War II. President Reagan made the right call and pulled out our Marines within 4 months.
We must not, Mr. Speaker, repeat the failures of the past, be they 40 years or 40 days ago. We must not allow this administration to undermine the fragile cease-fire now in place, drag our troops into another conflict, or hand Congress' warmaking authority to a President who has shown no interest in wielding it responsibly.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution and encourage all of my colleagues to do so, as well. I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1950
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, we have the best chance for peace between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States of America that has existed in decades. There is a framework in place that has been met between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States of America. The one holdout is Hezbollah.
This resolution does absolutely nothing to help garner that peace. This resolution only seeks to embolden Hezbollah. That is the only thing that it does because, again, as was pointed out by my colleague— and I appreciate him saying this very firmly; he was very clear about this—there are no U.S. forces engaged in hostilities.
Do we train Lebanese armed forces? Yes, we do. Do we provide intelligence? Yes, we do. We don't have forces engaged there, but we are working for a peace that has evaded the world for decades, and we are closer than ever.
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage a “no” vote against this resolution because, again, it is simply undermining the peace process and really, actually serves no purpose because it asks that we remove forces that are not present.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
The question is on adoption of the concurrent resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question are postponed.