Sources from "Al-Akhbar" indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian will visit Beirut at the end of this weekend, while the visit scheduled for yesterday by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri has been canceled. Following sources suggested that the postponement is likely related to the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo to discuss a prisoner deal in Gaza. They added that discussions regarding Lebanon will be put on hold for a while as the current focus is on the Gaza situation, noting that discussions about the southern front have not yet matured.
In this context, informed sources confirmed that there is no new development concerning the southern front, and claims regarding proposals from U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein were exaggerated. They added that Hochstein's failure to visit Beirut after Tel Aviv is not linked to unsuccessful talks with Israeli officials, as no one has been notified about a visit to Lebanon nor have any appointments been requested for him.
They pointed out that the Americans have finally realized that any proposal presented by Hochstein will not be feasible until the situation in Gaza is resolved, especially as Hezbollah refuses any discussions before halting the aggression. They emphasized that Israeli threats are unrealistic because what the U.S. did not allow during the peak of the crisis, fearing it would lead to a comprehensive war, will not be permitted now under the pressures exerted on all parties to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
The sources speculated that a ceasefire in Gaza could lead to calm in southern Lebanon, but the negotiation process will be different and may take a long time, as Israelis are facing a crisis with the displacement of settlers in the north, an unprecedented situation in the Gaza perimeter settlements, posing a challenge for both political and military levels.
