Between the American initiative to address the situation in southern Lebanon and the French initiative, it has become clear that Lebanon leans towards the U.S. option for various reasons. The most notable is that the United States is the only country capable of binding Israel to any agreement or understanding, and there is a belief that Americans are convinced that there is no resolution to the situation in the south before a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip.
After Lebanon received and studied the revised French paper, those involved in this file concluded that the amendments made by the French are not fundamental. They emphasized that all the provisions of the paper focus on how to ensure security for Israel, neglecting Lebanese interests.
A concerned source told "Al-Jarida" newspaper that the paper only considers Israeli interests. Although the language used has changed compared to the first version, the content remains the same, particularly regarding the necessity of there being no center or even tent for Hezbollah south of the Litani River or referencing the prohibition of any armed appearance in the area and the withdrawal of arms from all organizations except for the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL forces.
The source added that "the paper used the phrase 'repositioning or redeployment' of Hezbollah elements in one of its paragraphs, but in another paragraph, it mentioned the necessity of the absence of armed presence or centers for the party south of the river, which is unacceptable to the party."
The paper also includes a reference to "allowing freedom of movement for UNIFIL forces and not preventing them from carrying out their work or obstructing their patrols by any party, which Hezbollah also rejects."
The source indicated that the paper is unacceptable, and despite the Lebanese state's diplomatic engagement with the French, a response may be submitted expressing rejection of several points. However, the source insists that the French initiative will not lead to any results, believing that the U.S. will not allow the French to reach any solution concerning the Lebanese file but has decided to let them fill the void in the meantime.
From Lebanon's perspective, the American proposal seems more realistic as it does not mention the withdrawal of Hezbollah, redeployment, or the removal of military centers or others, but merely refers to enhancing the role of the Lebanese Army. Conversely, an official source states that the tone of the French paper has changed, but its content has not. There is a possibility of discussing it, yet the core issue remains the inability to achieve any solution in Lebanon before reaching a comprehensive agreement in Gaza. Lebanon is working on preparing a response to the French paper to deliver it to the French very soon, amidst data indicating that Hezbollah rejects its content as it caters only to Israeli interests, according to "Al-Jarida" newspaper.
