Colonna Stressed the Need for Lebanon to Be a Partner in a Swift Solution... and the Necessity of Finding a Solution for the "Party" South of the Litani

Sources accompanying French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna's visit to Beirut revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that she did not bring an Israeli offer but conveyed the atmosphere she sensed in Tel Aviv during her meetings with Israeli officials. She informed Lebanese officials that there is a "serious danger of war erupting if the issue of Hezbollah's weapons in the area south of the Litani is not addressed," and that Israel "will not remain silent about the reality of the north being emptied and the obstacles preventing the return of residents to their homes." The sources noted that Colonna emphasized the necessity for Lebanon to be a partner in a swift solution and the need to find a solution regarding the presence of the party's fighters in south of the Litani. Lebanese sources viewed Colonna's visit as indicating "a French attempt to defuse tensions, a concern for Lebanon's stability, and another concern for the safety of UNIFIL forces, in which France participates with about 800 soldiers, deployed in the area south of the Litani."