Beirut watches from afar the color of smoke that will rise from Cairo and Doha, where negotiations regarding the fragile truce in Gaza continue. Various scenarios arise regarding what awaits the southern front, which has become clear will remain active as long as the chances of a ceasefire in the sector are almost nonexistent. As such, the fear of the specter of war overshadows the entire political scene, with internal issues completely absent, as all parties involved and observers converge on one conclusion: everything is on hold, awaiting Gaza.
A week after U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein's departure from Beirut, the effects of the visit have diminished, as it cannot have any impact before the Palestinian resistance (and no one else) announces a truce. Without this ceiling, what Hochstein brought remains mere words in the air and ink on paper. Therefore, no developments have occurred in the scene in Beirut, except for a visit by the political aide to Speaker Nabih Berri, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, to Doha (sent by the Speaker), where he held meetings with senior Qatari officials. Notably, the visit was kept completely confidential, with little information leaking out besides that its primary aim was to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon. The Qatari side expressed significant concerns about what the situation could lead to.
Sources told "Al-Akhbar" that the Qataris, like all international and Arab parties, believe that the Lebanese arena is the most affected by the situation emerging from Gaza, showing a high level of concern about the dangers of any slide into war. They indicated that Doha is working in parallel with the Americans regarding de-escalation in the south and separating the paths and fronts. Their rising fears stem from their realization, like the Americans and others, of the impossibility of reaching any agreement regarding the southern front separately from a truce in Gaza due to the position of the resistance in Lebanon.
The Qataris revealed that the path in Gaza is long and that negotiations are ongoing with efforts toward reaching a ceasefire. However, nothing guarantees that things will be available during Ramadan, emphasizing the necessity of avoiding escalation in Lebanon and exercising restraint. They also mentioned that the presidential file, which has been of great interest to the Qataris, was also among the general points discussed in Khalil's meetings with Qatari officials. The Qatari side stressed the need for swift presidential elections because the region is heading toward significant transformations from which Lebanon will not be immune. There are issues requiring the presence of a president, without going into any detail regarding names or proposing any initiatives.
While reports suggest that former MP Walid Jumblatt might visit Doha this week, informed sources stated that everything being discussed or suggested is of no value, and any visit will not carry anything serious or capable of taking an executive path, as Lebanon awaits what unfolds in Palestine. Even Hochstein's recent visit, whether publicly announced or not, was linked to the situation in Gaza, knowing that the American envoy was convinced that matters were surely heading towards a truce or at least a reduction in escalation, revealing that the entire mediation file is currently suspended. Hochstein has nothing to add at this time, especially after the Ramadan ceasefire negotiations stumbled, and Lebanon has nothing to offer to the Western envoys, while confirming that the points discussed by Hochstein can be built upon later.
**The "Pentagon" Becomes Quadruple at Franjieh and Bassil**
Saudi Ambassador to Beirut Walid Bukhari informed his counterparts from the member states of the "Pentagon" that he would not attend their meeting with the head of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Franjieh, as part of their planned tour of political forces. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson informed the other four ambassadors that she would not participate in their meeting with the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, due to his placement on the U.S. sanctions list, according to "Al-Akhbar."
