The military escalation that enveloped the southern borders yesterday, extending from the deterioration that began last Friday, did not overshadow the ongoing momentum of communications conducted by the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian days ago. Amid expectations for the arrival of the Qatari envoy Jassim bin Fahd Al Thani (Abu Fahd) this week in Beirut, notable was the activity concerning the Lebanese file on the sidelines of the global climate summit in Dubai. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who met yesterday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, had conferred the day before with French President Emmanuel Macron. From Dubai to Doha, President Macron had a conversation with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The common denominator of these communications in Lebanon and abroad was the movement of the Quintet Committee for Lebanon, which includes, in addition to France, Egypt, and Qatar, both the United States and Saudi Arabia. Well-informed sources told "Nidaa Al-Watan" that the Quintet countries have intensified their efforts in recent days regarding the Lebanese crisis in all its dimensions. In addition to the "main concern" of the committee to keep Lebanon away from the Gaza war, the movement focuses on the files of extending the term of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, presidential elections, and implementing Resolution 1701.
What do these sources indicate about these files? The sources replied that Resolution 1701 "requires separate negotiations whose details have not yet matured. As for the extension of General Aoun and holding presidential elections, the Qatari envoy who arrives after the French will clarify that Lebanon has one of two options: either go for the extension of the Army Commander now or elect a new president."
They stated: "Those who do not want to extend the Army Commander are positioning themselves against the Quintet committee, because they are opening the country to chaos and placing it outside international legitimacy, exposing Lebanon to dangerous possibilities." They added: "The inevitability of a third option in the elections stems from the lack of prospects for the two proposed candidates, necessitating converging and agreeing to meet the conditions of Lebanese interest and the political moment. Furthermore, conducting presidential elections now would complete the structure of state institutions, making an extension of the Army Commander's term unnecessary."
The sources concluded by saying: "If holding presidential elections becomes impossible, the international community cannot accept hollowing out the army institution during such a critical and sensitive phase. Therefore, the recent messages from the Quintet were strongly worded, even if they were within the negotiation context, as exemplified by Le Drian's interaction with Deputy Gibran Bassil."
Transitioning from political developments to the confrontations in the south, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib, returning from a European tour that included Brussels and Barcelona, revealed to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that Israel sent several messages concerning the south to parties from the European Union, conveyed by Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, through the Vatican. According to Bou Habib, these messages stated that "Lebanon must implement the international Resolution 1701 and that Hezbollah should be present north of the Litani River, not south of it."
Diplomatic sources following the situation say that Western countries, particularly the United States, are exerting pressure on Israel to avoid any escalatory strikes in the south, while the sources indicate that there is no intention from Hezbollah to raise the level of tension.
