The United States called on the Lebanese authorities to carry out radical economic reforms in order to obtain foreign aid, stressing its willingness to assist a government capable of achieving reforms with or without Hezbollah.
US Undersecretary of State David Hale said that no more foreign funds would be provided to a Lebanese leadership that enriches itself and ignores the popular will, pointing out that Lebanon has reached a "low point" with the bombing of the Beirut port, and it is now imperative to carry out radical reforms.
Hill - who visited Beirut about a week ago - added that the Lebanese people see rulers using the system to enrich themselves and ignore popular demands.
That era is over, he said, and there is no more money for it. "They have reached rock bottom, and I think sooner or later the leadership will appreciate the fact that the time has come for change."
Hill added in a press conference that if this does not happen, "I am convinced that the masses will intensify the pressure on them."
The US official read out a long list of needed policy changes, including financial and economic reforms, ending endemic corruption, improving transparency, tackling the inadequate electrical system, and conducting a central bank audit.
He said that Washington is ready to help a government that is able to achieve reforms with or without Hezbollah, and that it has been able to deal with previous Lebanese governments that included elements of Hezbollah.
Hill criticized Hezbollah's role in Lebanon, saying that it is part of the imbalance in the Lebanese system that allows it to act as a state within the state.
Judicial notification
In another context, a Lebanese lawyer submitted on Wednesday a judicial complaint to the Public Prosecution office against President Michel Aoun and the head of the caretaker government, Hassan Diab, against the backdrop of the Beirut port explosion.
The report - which was submitted by lawyer Majd Boutros Harb - is due to what he said was the default and negligence of both Aoun and Diab in their duties towards what happened.
Harb said, in statements to Anadolu Agency, that he had submitted the report to the Public Prosecutor, Ghassan Awaidat, against the two officials because they did not take the necessary measures to prevent the disaster.
He added that the report is based on consistent data, and on a letter sent by the General Directorate of State Security on July 20 to them informing them about the existence of huge quantities of ammonium nitrate in the port, but the presidents of the republic and the government did not take the necessary measures to protect the citizens, according to Harb.
Aoun had revealed, during an interview with journalists, his previous knowledge of the existence of the aforementioned material in the port, but he denied knowing how dangerous it was, and that he did not have sufficient powers to act.
Harb refuted Aoun's statements by saying that the constitution allows the president of the republic to call the cabinet for an emergency session in the event of any emergency issue, indicating that the Lebanese constitution permits the president of the republic to add to the council’s agenda any emergency issue, and it also allows the prime minister to set a schedule for his work.
Shelter program
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that the UNHCR would cooperate with the Lebanese Red Cross to prepare a shelter program for about 100,000 people, and would provide aid to the citizens who were affected by the Beirut port explosion.
Grandi added, after his meeting with the Lebanese President, that the UNHCR usually directs its aid to the refugees, but given the enormity of the explosion, it will provide urgent assistance to the Lebanese as its interest in the refugees continues.
He indicated that millions of dollars were allocated for immediate relief and assistance to the affected hospitals.
On August 4, Beirut spent a bloody night due to a huge explosion in the port of the city that left 178 dead, more than 6 thousand wounded and dozens missing, in addition to massive material damage and losses estimated at about $ 15 billion, according to unlimited official figures, and the explosion prompted Diab's government to resign .