Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri confirmed that he would respond on Friday or Saturday to the French document he received from the French Embassy in Lebanon. He told "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the document included acceptable points along with others that are unacceptable and need to be amended. He preferred not to go into details, stating that these matters are open for discussion and must be addressed in a manner that considers the French side's reaction and its willingness to engage with the observations that will be presented in response to the document in its second version, which was written in English instead of French, a change that surprised them.
President Berri noted that the ceasefire in Gaza automatically extends to southern Lebanon, warning against Israel's continued systematic destruction of the towns and villages along the first line adjacent to the border with Israel. He stated that Israel is persistently destroying these areas akin to what is happening in Gaza today, aiming to turn them into burnt land devoid of inhabitants in a blatant attempt to provoke the supportive environment for the resistance against the Israeli occupation, which continues to violate UN resolution 1701.
**Confronting the Policy of Scorched Earth**
Berri revealed that Israel's destruction of the frontline villages and towns coincides with its use of internationally banned phosphorous bombs to render the lands of these villages unsuitable for agriculture for several years. He emphasized his attention to Israel's actions and has prioritized meetings with international envoys who are eager to visit Lebanon in an effort to restore calm to the south, insisting on putting an end to its escalation in transforming the border areas into scorched earth in every sense of the word.
**Communication with Hezbollah**
With Berri preparing to respond to the French document, which aligns in many respects with the American document previously proposed by American mediator Amos Hochstein during his shuttle diplomacy between Beirut and Tel Aviv, aimed at preventingIsrael from expanding the ongoing war in Gaza to include southern Lebanon, "Asharq Al-Awsat" learned that he has maintained communication with both parties through his political aide, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, who holds open meetings, specifically with the leadership of Hezbollah represented by the political aide to its Secretary-General, Hussein Khalil, in the presence of those concerned with southern issues, as appointed by Hassan Nasrallah.
**Unconditional Support for Berri from Hezbollah**
In this context, a prominent source within the Shiite duo confirmed that the message Berri is preparing in response to the French document enjoys unconditional support from Hezbollah and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who was the first to highlight his observations regarding the first version of the French document during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The source stated to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the surprise was the lack of translation of French promises, despite Paris showing understanding of those observations, which was evident in its second version.
The source believed that Berri's response to the French document remains within the framework of give and take, allowing room for Paris to engage positively with the observations to avoid disturbing the balance in implementing what is included to calm the situation in the south, starting from creating favorable political and security conditions to implement resolution 1701.
**Negotiations Alongside Escalation**
In other words, the Shiite duo, according to the same source, is not inclined to reject the French document but rather seeks to use its observations to open the door for negotiations, hoping Paris understands the underlying reasons to compel Israel to take the necessary steps to achieve balance in implementing what is stated in the document should it be decided to reconsider it and present a third version, which takes into account not disturbing the balance on both sides of the border. This requires not yielding in any way to the blackmail practiced by Israel.
Therefore, merely entering into negotiations, based on responding as much as possible to the observations Berri included in his response to the document, inherently means it will be accompanied by an escalation of confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border, leading to the adoption of hot diplomacy in exchanging pressures, alongside negotiations for a ceasefire on the Gaza front, which remains oscillating between a cold burst and another hot one.
On another note, "Asharq Al-Awsat" learned that the French document dominated the weekly meeting of the leadership body in the Amal Movement, chaired by President Berri, who provided an extensive intervention addressing the ambiguity surrounding some of its provisions that need clarification and understanding regarding Lebanese concerns about the document, as it is not acceptable in its current form and there is a need to engage positively with the observations aiming to purify it from impurities as a basis for achieving the required balance without yielding to Israeli blackmail.
