French diplomatic sources are expressing concern over the escalating situation in southern Lebanon, particularly since the agenda for war against Lebanon now resides solely with the Israeli government, and even the Israelis themselves are uncertain about how to respond. Paris believes that the Israelis currently hold the decision-making power to bomb and kill whom they choose, as well as to escalate or broaden the war in Lebanon, after "Hezbollah" had initially begun the bombing and rocket fire in solidarity with "Hamas." Hezbollah finds itself trapped in a war from which it does not know how to extricate itself.
According to the same diplomatic sources, France is very anxious and is awaiting the Israeli response to the plan it presented to both Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese side agreed to some points of the plan, while the Israeli response has yet to be received. The sources state that France devised this proposal to demonstrate that there are possible political solutions for the south and to prevent the expansion of the Israeli war, as the absence of solutions only serves to fuel extremism from both sides, as mentioned in "An-Nahar."
Regarding the presidential election file, the sources indicate that Paris is advising the presidential envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, not to visit Lebanon currently, as there is nothing new to discuss, even though a new dynamic is emerging due to renewed U.S. engagement regarding the presidential election. The U.S. ambassador in Lebanon is actively pursuing this issue and seeks to expedite the election of a president. The French sources speculate that the chances for candidate Sleiman Frangieh to become president have diminished, and they believe a third name may emerge to overshadow either Frangieh or the army commander, although this third name has not yet been deliberated.
In a related matter, the U.S. Department of Defense stated that it "seeks a diplomatic solution to spare southern Lebanon from any prolonged conflict." It added that "America does not want the conflict to expand, nor do we want a regional conflict," according to "An-Nahar."
