US Special Forces commander arrives in Beirut to monitor Lebanon ceasefire

Jeffers met with Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun earlier on Friday to discuss the current situation and to coordinate over southern Lebanon.

By YUVAL BARNEA NOVEMBER 30, 2024 01:57 Updated: NOVEMBER 30, 2024 02:59

Maj.-Gen. Jasper Jeffers, Special Operations Command Central Commander, official portrait. (photo credit: US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE)

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Friday night that CENTCOM Special Forces commander Maj.-Gen. Jasper Jeffers arrived in Beirut on Wednesday as part of the ceasefire monitoring and implementation team.

- pic.twitter.com/Q9235iCrYq

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 29, 2024

Jeffers will serve as co-chair of the team along with Amos Hochstein, who will serve as temporary civilian co-chair until a permanent civilian official is named.

The team will be chaired by the US and will consist of members from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the IDF, UNIFIL, and France.

Illustrative image of U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein. (credit: ING IMAGE, REUTERS, REUTERS/THAIER AL-SUDANI)

Jeffers already met with LAF commander Gen. Joseph Aoun earlier on Friday to discuss the current situation and to coordinate over southern Lebanon, according to local media.

Who is Jasper Jeffers?

Jeffers was promoted to heading the US Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), which is responsible for planning and executing special forces operations in CENTCOM, in June.

According to his military biography, Jeffers served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, having been deployed multiple times.

He later commanded a brigade during US operations against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Prior to his current posting, Jeffers was Deputy Director on the Joint Staff for Special Operations and Counter-Terrorism.