After the visit of French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian concluded, interest in the southern front has intensified, where confrontations between resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces have escalated, albeit remaining within the scope of the established rules of engagement under Resolution 1701, with only minimal breaches occurring. Meanwhile, stagnation surrounds the presidential election process, which seems far from resolution, especially since the meetings the French envoy held with officials and various political leaders yielded no tangible results, even regarding the possibility of extending the term of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun to prevent a leadership vacuum in the army amid the ongoing presidential void and the prevailing situation on Lebanon's southern borders and in Gaza.
Informed sources revealed to "Al-Jumhuriya" that Le Drian's visit, which is expected to see him return to Lebanon next month, did not achieve any results regarding the agenda he brought to discuss with relevant stakeholders, which included three points: the presidential election, implementation of Resolution 1701, and the extension of General Joseph Aoun’s term. He received conflicting positions on these three points ranging from support to opposition, preventing him from achieving any substantial progress that could facilitate the implementation of any of them. His "engagement" with the head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gebran Bassil, exemplified the internal divisions regarding the extension of the army commander and the options presented concerning him.
Consequently, Le Drian left to evaluate the information he gathered with French President Emmanuel Macron and other members of the Arab-international quintet, having entrusted this information to their ambassadors in Lebanon during his meeting with them at the Pine Palace at the conclusion of his discussions with relevant parties. "Al-Jumhuriya" learned that Le Drian heard harsh criticisms from some of those he met regarding President Macron's pro-Israel stance in its war against Gaza, which has impacted and will impact France's role and interests in Lebanon and all Arab and foreign countries sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
Notably, Macron has begun to realize this issue, as he expressed an unprecedentedly firm stance on Saturday regarding Israel's stated strategy to eliminate Hamas, calling for a "doubling of efforts for a permanent ceasefire." At a press conference held on the sidelines of the United Nations climate conference in Dubai, Macron questioned, "What does it mean to completely eliminate Hamas? Does anyone think this is possible? If so, the war will last ten years." He added, "Therefore, this objective should be clarified" by the "Israeli authorities," warning against a "never-ending war."
Macron stressed that the correct response to a terrorist organization is not to eliminate an entire region or to bomb all infrastructures, affirming that "sustainable security" cannot be guaranteed for Israel if it comes at the expense of Palestinian lives, thereby stirring discontent among public opinion in the region as a whole.
Is it the content of his discussions on the sidelines of the UN climate summit with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and several Arab leaders that prompted him to adopt such a tone unprecedented since October 7? Macron was supposed to conduct a broader tour of the Middle East, but ultimately the Élysée considered that the presence of many stakeholders in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Dubai would turn the conference into a climate and diplomatic meeting simultaneously. However, expectations from the visit were partially thwarted, as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Macron was scheduled to meet during the conference, did not attend. Furthermore, a meeting between Macron and several Arab leaders did not materialize at the same time, despite Macron hoping it would, as such a meeting would allow him to deliver his message more forcefully.
As for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, they did not attend in Dubai. Macron's itinerary does not include a visit to Israel or Ramallah.
