The crescent moon of the holy month of Ramadan rose at sunset yesterday, but the truce crescent in Gaza and then in southern Lebanon has not yet appeared, delaying the return of the American presidential envoy Amos Hochstein as promised by Speaker of the House Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati during his recent visit to Lebanon earlier last week. Hochstein is expected to continue his mission regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701 and its political aspect tied to the presidential elections and the new authority that needs to be established to assume responsibility for the border region and undertake the necessary tasks to rescue the country on all levels. Speaker Nabih Berri clarified this weekend saying, "There are no solutions as long as the truce (in Gaza) is not going well. Once a truce is achieved, Hochstein will have a role, and so far, there is nothing." He added, "Hochstein presented us with ideas, some of which are positive and some are not." He continued, "We are committed to full implementation of Resolution 1701, and no one can compel me to agree to its terms that are unfavorable." He pointed out that "the Qataris are interested in the Gaza file and linked to the southern front, where they support the solution and encourage discussions on the ideas presented by Hochstein."
Al-Joumhouria learned that Berri received a phone call yesterday afternoon from French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, during which they discussed the necessity of dialogue and consensus to elect a president as soon as possible to tackle the accumulated challenges on several fronts. The call was described as part of diplomatic efforts to find a presidential solution.
**The Moderation Bloc**
While awaiting the anticipated initiative from the ambassadors of the Arab and International Quintet in Beirut, and the expected movement of the "National Moderation" bloc in its second round to explain the mechanisms of its presidential initiative and its details, which is anticipated this week or the next, independent parliamentary sources told "Al-Joumhouria" that "the initiative in the form it was presented does not lead to the election of a president for the country, evidenced by the positions of Speaker Nabih Berri and Minister of Information Ziad Makari regarding it, and the lack of response from Hezbollah to the initiative until yesterday." They added: "We do not expect the initiative to succeed; it may have practically ended, as even those who announced their general agreement on it objected to the proposed implementation mechanism."
However, member of the "National Moderation" bloc MP Walid Ba’harini said yesterday, during his reception of popular delegations and figures from Akkar and northern Lebanon in his office in Al-Mahmara, that the bloc’s presidential initiative is ongoing and has created a dynamic that Lebanon needed, revived political life, and opened doors to hope among Lebanese of a possible political solution to get the country out of its predicament. He added: "Attacking or dismissing the initiative is not reflective of reality, and it does not serve Lebanon’s interests or the Lebanese people. It is regrettable that friends of Lebanon abroad seek to end the vacancy and resolve the crisis, while there are those inside who seek to obstruct any solution or wish for no resolution that ends Lebanon’s tragedy and puts it on the path to recovery." He asked: "What is the alternative to dialogue and consensus? We all know that no matter how high we raise the political stakes against each other, we will eventually sit at the table and negotiate. So why not spare the citizen all this anguish and time?" He added: "We will meet under the umbrella of constitutional institutions that govern our political work, which is the most suitable framework to achieve a comprehensive national political result that respects our national reconciliation and shared existence."
Similarly, member of the "National Moderation" bloc MP Mohammed Suleiman confirmed to delegations that visited him in Wadi Khaled that the bloc’s initiative addresses the concerns of all Lebanese because it works towards bringing together all political components to end the vacancy and seeks to bridge perspectives between all blocs to end the vacuum in institutions. He stated: "The internal efforts made by the bloc are in line with the quintet initiative and are overcoming obstacles to reach a solution that unites the Lebanese and protects Lebanon." Berri had said on Saturday regarding his meeting with the "Moderation" bloc: "The meeting was positive. I am the one who will set the mechanism for the initiative, and there is no president other than the Speaker (to chair the consultative meeting included in the Moderation initiative)."
In this context, amid renewed meetings of the Arab and International Quintet, it was reported that the Qatari ambassador in Beirut, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al Thani, is conducting an operation away from the media, reaching out to a number of MPs, as part of the individual efforts of the five ambassadors. There are also indications that they may visit Berri soon. Al Thani began his movement by visiting Batroun, where he met with the head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Gibran Bassil, discussing Lebanese-Qatari relations and the situation in Lebanon, particularly the presidential elections and the movements of the quintet regarding this matter, as well as the developments resulting from the Israeli war on Gaza.
**Electing the President**
In terms of positions, the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, during his Sunday mass at the Lady of Lebanon church in Bkerke yesterday, emphasized that we look very positively at the initiative of the National Moderation bloc and the efforts of the quintet of ambassadors, hoping for their success and thanking them for their efforts and sacrifices.
Moreover, the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian sent a message to the Lebanese on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, in which he warned that Lebanon is in a danger zone, primarily due to the presidential vacancy. He stated: "The absolute priority today is to conduct the presidential election, and we cannot emerge from our crises without completing this entitlement, to preserve our national unity. Lebanon cannot live except with its two wings, Muslim and Christian, and we do not accept anything less than the equality specified in the Taif Agreement. Lebanon should not be governed by the logic of winner and loser, or strong against the weak, but rather we are all strong by the word of truth, and we will prevail for our homeland and our people."
**A Conditional Breakthrough**
On another front, as tensions and the escalation of military operations continue in various areas of the Gaza Strip due to the failure to arrange any agreement for a ceasefire or new humanitarian truce, the weekend witnessed a series of meetings and movements that can potentially lead to a breakthrough, albeit conditional, soon.
Arab and Lebanese diplomatic sources confirmed to "Al-Joumhouria" that the movements of the past hours are looking for a loophole that can gather the minimum necessary to reconcile Israel's and Hamas' demands, especially regarding reconsidering the proposed plan for exchanging prisoners and hostages from Hamas for detainees in Israeli prisons according to a new schedule being formulated between Doha, Washington, and Tel Aviv. This topic was discussed in the Qatari capital between CIA Director William Burns, who concluded his tour in Egypt, Qatar, and Tel Aviv with a meeting with Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea, as part of American efforts aimed at halting the fire and providing the sector with food, humanitarian needs, and various fuels.
The sources stated that this meeting was almost the last opportunity during these critical hours that could lead to any agreement that can be arranged in the early days of the month of Ramadan, which began today as expected. While the sources did not delve into the details of the disagreements expressed through the conditions and counter-conditions between Israel and Hamas, they anticipated that Washington, Cairo, and Doha would provide specific guarantees to both parties that could lead to a truce in the coming days.
**Riyadh Meetings**
In this atmosphere, attention turned to the meetings in Riyadh that brought together representatives from six Arab and Gulf countries on Sunday to continue their efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. The Kingdom has raised its conditions to revive discussions on the normalization phase in exchange for a comprehensive ceasefire, while Egypt has increased its pressures on the American side, represented by CIA Director William Burns, who was unable to bring his Israeli counterpart to the Cairo negotiations before heading to Doha. All of this is necessary to end the war in Gaza and reach an immediate and complete cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law and lifting all restrictions that hinder the entry of humanitarian aid into the sector.
