US efforts for a "temporary" ceasefire in Lebanon and the resumption of Gaza negotiations

Media sources revealed American efforts to achieve a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon and resume negotiations in Gaza, after four days of intensive Israeli bombardment, amid warnings of a catastrophic expansion of the conflict.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper quoted a source close to the Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as saying, “Serious efforts are being intensified these hours with the United States of America in order to calm down and reduce the military escalation between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation.”

There is great reliance on its success, especially in light of the international external assurances that it does not want war and is conveying its warnings about the repercussions of this scenario, which it describes as catastrophic, and conveying its fear of recent developments, and its emphasis that delaying the solution will make matters worse, according to the source.

The source pointed out that in his press interview, Speaker Berri said that Lebanon "has 24 decisive hours in front of it regarding the success or failure of these efforts to reach political solutions to the crisis." He stressed that the effort takes into account not separating the files of Lebanon and Gaza, and that it is based on what was previously reached with the American envoy Amos Hochstein before and after the war in Gaza.

The source pointed out that the intensive efforts do not mean that their success is linked to a final ceasefire. The basis now is to reduce the escalation, try to return to the rules of engagement, and limit military operations to the border strip, while completing political consultations for the next stage, especially with regard to indirect negotiations on the land borders, after the ceasefire in Gaza.

The source stressed that the efforts do not mean that Lebanon has given up any of its rights or demands, as there is a commitment to the full implementation of international resolutions, most notably Resolution 1701, to be adhered to by both parties, in addition to stopping all Israeli violations, considering that the enemy is the aggressor, and strengthening the army’s military capabilities and expanding its deployment on the border. These are points that were discussed with the US presidential envoy more than once, and he heard the Lebanese point of view regarding them.

Political movement in Lebanon

In this context, a parliamentary source in Hezbollah told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, “The resistance is today in the field, and is carrying out military operations, and it has full confidence in the political movement carried out by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and this is the concern of the Lebanese state.”

"But Hezbollah's position is clear and has become known and settled that the Lebanese front will not stop before the Israeli aggression on Gaza stops. We have also previously said that if the negotiations regarding the Gaza truce succeed, we will stop the Lebanese support front, and therefore, we adhere to this position and will not deviate from it," according to the source.

For his part, a diplomatic source at the US embassy in Beirut told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “We are intensifying our efforts to stop the escalation and avoid a war that will affect the entire region, not just Lebanon and Israel. The situation has become more dangerous in the past few days, and any delay could lead to the situation exploding further.”

"We still believe that avoiding a comprehensive war remains possible despite everything that is happening," he added.

The source points out that "there are, of course, points of contention that cannot be resolved now and require time. America is seeking to find a long-term solution on the southern level, but attempts are being made to calm things down first and then hold consultations that will establish the next stage, the stage after the ceasefire in Gaza."

Stressing that "in conjunction with these efforts, there is a need to intensify the movement to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which may extend to the Lebanese front, and we hope so, of course."

adhere to the rejection of war

Lebanon adheres to its position of rejecting war, and confirms its commitment to international resolutions, and cooperation between the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to ensure the availability of the necessary conditions for implementing Resolution 1701 issued by the Security Council, with the necessity of supporting the military institution to enhance the deployment of elements on the border. It also stresses the necessity of Israel stopping its attacks on Lebanese sovereignty, its land, air and sea violations, and its withdrawal from the Lebanese territories it occupies.

The Lebanese government had previously put forward a proposal paper to achieve de-escalation after the Majdal Shams incident and the Israeli occupation’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in the southern suburbs of Beirut. It was divided into three points: the short-term perspective, the medium-term perspective, and ways to move forward.

Accordingly, current efforts may be within the framework of immediate de-escalation and cessation of provocative actions in order to mitigate risks and protect civilians until the full and equal implementation of Resolution 1701, which according to the Lebanese government represents the cornerstone for ensuring stability and security in southern Lebanon.

In contrast, the most prominent "Israeli conditions" that are being conveyed through the American mediator and that are being categorically rejected by Hezbollah are those related to removing its elements from the border, and they are primarily the "Radwan Force", which is considered one of the elite forces of the resistance. Since the beginning of the war, Israel has been assassinating its most prominent leaders, and many of them have been martyred, especially in the past few days.

Hezbollah is conveying through its circles that it is open to diplomatic efforts, especially since it does not want war, and it is entrusting the task of official negotiations with the Americans and those working on the truce line to President Berri, its political and military ally in the field after the Amal Movement participated more than once in the battles, and its martyrs fell in them. However, it insists on its basic condition of stopping the aggression on Gaza before any further talk.

Biden Administration Initiative

Axios revealed that the administration of US President Joe Biden has begun working on a new diplomatic initiative aimed at a “temporary” ceasefire on the Lebanese front and resuming negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal in the Gaza Strip, at a time when Hezbollah has escalated its missile attacks in response to the massacres committed against civilians, targeting Tel Aviv for the first time with a short-range ballistic missile.

The American website quoted American officials, an Israeli official, and two sources familiar with the efforts to reach a ceasefire, saying that the idea of the new American initiative came during a phone call last Monday between White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.

A US official and a European diplomat said the United States had discussed the idea over the past two days with France, Israel, Lebanon and several other Arab countries.

Another American official confirmed: "We are working with several countries on a proposal for a diplomatic solution for the north," while an Israeli official said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light to discuss this initiative.

A source familiar with the plans explained that the goal of the American initiative is to achieve a pause that will allow space for negotiations on a diplomatic agreement to prevent a wider war in the region, allow displaced civilians to return to their homes on both sides of the border, and revive efforts to reach a swap deal and ceasefire in Gaza.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser John Finer told the US website that the Biden administration sees a path to calming the situation on the Israel-Lebanon border. “We’re working on that in real time in New York and in world capitals,” he added.

For his part, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that the next 24 hours would be “critical” for diplomatic efforts to avoid further escalation. The White House did not respond to questions about the new initiative.

This comes at a time when the Israeli occupation forces continue, for the third consecutive day, their extensive bloody bombing campaign on villages and towns in southern and eastern Lebanon, leaving more martyrs and wounded. An airstrike targeted, for the first time, the Saadiyat area, south of Beirut.

(New Arab)