- 15:50
Lebanon remains caught in Israel’s escalation zone as disagreements persist with both Israel and the United States, and Hezbollah still resists disarmament.
Official Lebanese sources say Israel’s main demand centers on direct negotiations with Lebanon, even suggesting a possible meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lebanese authorities have ruled out such a scenario, insisting that any talks follow the same framework used during the maritime border negotiations between the two countries, a proposal Israel continues to reject.
The mechanism committee monitors and enforces the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Discussions about including civilian officials in the delegations of participating parties remain purely theoretical, with little prospect of being implemented at this stage.
Egypt is also seeking a solution to the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, partly modeled on arrangements used in Gaza, with international forces working alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to oversee security in southern Litani. The challenge with the Egyptian plan is that it aims to neutralize Hezbollah’s weapons without actually disarming the group.
The Egyptian proposal is rejected by Hezbollah, which opposes the presence of foreign forces in the south following the end of UNIFIL’s mission. Israel also rejects any arrangement that would allow Hezbollah to retain its weapons. This stance leaves Israel free to pursue military action against the group and escalate tensions, potentially leading to a large-scale operation with clear backing from the US, for whom Israel’s security remains a top priority.
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