A responsible Lebanese official revealed to the Kuwaiti newspaper "Al-Anbaa" details related to the Israeli and Lebanese fronts, stating: "The American envoy Amos Hochstein, who emphasized that his visit to Israel was personal, wanted to avoid loading expectations from the developments related to Gaza with any implications regarding Lebanon that could be interpreted according to local whims and interests. If he had announced that his visit was linked to some development on the southern front and that development did not occur, matters would become more complicated. Therefore, he did not announce his visit to Lebanon, although he and his team obtained courtesy visas from the Lebanese embassy before departing the United States. Thus, achieving a significant breakthrough through the Egyptian initiative will inevitably lead to an unannounced ceasefire on the Lebanese front. This encourages Hochstein to move immediately to Lebanon to begin discussions on establishing borders and fully implementing Resolution 1701."
He mentioned that "all indications suggest that Hochstein will visit Beirut, based on the negotiations conducted by his team, which was formed following his last visit and has taken the American embassy in Aoukar as its headquarters under the direct supervision of U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson."
The official clarified, "One should not place too much significance on the visit of French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné; it is, in some way, complementary to the American efforts to prevent a broad explosion in the south. However, the limits of its movement do not extend to determining the course of developments, either peacefully or through war. The main task assigned to France by the U.S. is for President Emmanuel Macron to initiate communications to prepare for an international donor conference aimed at supporting the Lebanese army so that it is ready if calm begins and Resolution 1701 is implemented."
He confirmed that "what is required from the army is to deploy between 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers in the area south of the Litani, i.e., the area of UNIFIL operations. Therefore, if Séjourné concludes his visit to Lebanon with a press conference at the Pine Palace, the headquarters of the French embassy, the main announcement will be regarding the army support conference."
The official revealed that "there is a very serious discussion far from the spotlight regarding the fate of the war in Gaza in relation to Lebanon. This Western-Lebanese discussion suggests that if a ceasefire is entered into, then things will move quickly toward implementing Resolution 1701. However, if efforts falter, given Hezbollah's ability to de-escalate, a gradual reduction of conflicts on the southern front could begin, limiting it only to the Shebaa Farms, which are outside of Resolution 1701. Thus, the party maintains its supportive role for Gaza while at the same time halting exchanges of fire from UNIFIL's area of operations, which allows the return of displaced persons from both sides to their towns and villages. It is essential to pay attention to a fundamental point, which is that Hezbollah has focused its military operations in the last week on the Shebaa Farms, indicating a development in this direction."
