Ali Hamdan, an advisor to the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri, confirmed that a phone call took place between President Berri and the American mediator Amos Hochstein to follow up on certain matters. He mentioned that Hochstein does not carry any proposals but merely ideas, and that the American mediator promised President Berri to send a written text of these ideas within two days to facilitate negotiations according to a written document. However, "as of now, we have not received anything from Hochstein," he added. Hamdan stated that a response is expected even though the two days have extended to two weeks.
During his appearance on the Lebanese scene program on Al-Hurra channel, Hamdan affirmed commitment to Resolution 1701, noting that everything they demand is included in this resolution. He pointed out that there is a conviction in America and in the European and British positions that everything happening is a reflection of the situation in Gaza, and addressing the Gaza conflict would ease the resolution of other crises.
Regarding fears of the war expanding, Hamdan said: "It is no secret that Lebanon does not want war and has no intention of going to it, but this does not mean that in the event of an attack, it will not defend itself." He indicated that there is no trust in the Israelis, and any withdrawal from the borders is unacceptable.
He further added that no members of the American Senate have conveyed a threat to Lebanon, but they are concerned that Israel may be ready for war if no political efforts yield results. He emphasized that President Berri's response to the delegation was clear: Lebanon needs reassurances, not Israel.
On the presidential file, Hamdan confirmed that President Berri is fully convinced that what is happening on the borders acts as an incentive for electing a President of the Republic. He pointed out that the bargaining between calming the southern front and Hezbollah's retreat in exchange for the Resistance Axis obtaining the presidency is an unacceptable compromise.
Regarding the recent initiative by the Moderation Bloc for electing a President through consultation rather than dialogue, Hamdan reported that President Berri informed the deputies that if they reach an agreement on two or three names during the consultation sessions, they would move directly to an open session for electing a President, with the quorum remaining at 86 deputies. He noted that whoever wins will be congratulated, thus making the call for open sessions inevitable.
Hamdan also stated that the proceedings of the Quintet Committee cannot be ignored, nor can the efforts of friendly and brotherly countries that visited President Berri and assured him that they have no veto or naming preference and are ready to help. He mentioned that the Quintet Committee started its last meeting by preparing a mechanism that could be useful to assist Lebanon in electing a President of the Republic.
