Everyone in Lebanon is awaiting the results of the summit between French President Emmanuel Macron and American President Joe Biden in Paris, and what it might yield in terms of translating the issued positions that will serve as a basis for any new initiative or movement. There is also the potential revival of the efforts by French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, in coordination and agreement with American expert on the Lebanese file, Amos Hochstein.
An informed source told "Anbaa" that while the presidential file is not entirely sidelined, Western interest is primarily focused on the ground situation. The French-American endeavor constantly emphasizes avoiding the expansion of war. Although attempts have been made so far to restrain the hawks in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government from embarking on a disastrous adventure, this cannot be relied upon for the long term. The most effective way to prevent the war from expanding is to reach a solution.
The source added, "As long as Lebanon has linked the issue of the borders to the Gaza war, the focus is on reaching a ceasefire." The source does not rule out "the possibility of linking the situation along the Lebanese border to a political initiative for electing a president, which may become more urgent than ever to ratify agreements that cannot proceed without it. Thus, if separating the Lebanese path from the war in Gaza is unlikely or impossible, at a minimum, it is essential to keep matters under control by returning to the 'rules of engagement' which endured for about eight months before experiencing a breakdown in recent days. This breakdown threatens to ignite the situation."
