The preparation in Lebanon for the continuation of the negotiations with Israel and the attack by Hezbollah

Tonight (Thursday) a second meeting will be held in Washington between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon, in an attempt to initiate contacts between the parties, with the fragile cease-fire in the background accompanied by violations and threats from Hezbollah. In Beirut, they make it clear that any progress depends on Israeli compliance with several demands, with sources close to the presidency talking about the possibility of moving the preliminary talks to the stage of actual negotiations.

Ahead of the night meeting in Washington and the effort to restart the diplomatic channel, in Beirut they are already formulating clear lines for the talks – and signaling what they consider to be a basic condition for progress. The meeting between the two delegations was moved to the White House before their opening, and there is a chance that President Trump will join them.

Sources close to the Lebanese presidency told the Saudi al-Sharq channel that Lebanon’s ambassador to the US, Nada Hamada, is expected to present two main demands: “Extending the ceasefire for 20 to 40 days and stopping the destruction of villages and towns in southern Lebanon.” According to them, if Israel agrees to these demands, the talks will move to an agreement on a date and place for direct negotiations with Israel.

They stated that “the extension of the cease-fire requested by Lebanon is intended to allow stabilization in the area and the actual maintenance of peace, and only after that the negotiation phase will begin.” They also added that “Lebanon has not yet completed the formation of the negotiating delegation, led by the former ambassador to Washington, Simon Kerem.”

• Complete ceasefire
• Israeli withdrawal to the international border
• Deployment of the Lebanese army south of Litani
• Release of Lebanese prisoners
• The return of the residents of South Lebanon to their homes
• The restoration of the destroyed villages

A diplomatic source told the Lebanese Al-Jamhoriya newspaper that “efforts are being made on multiple Arab and Western fronts and especially European ones to support Lebanon in ending the war through the negotiation initiative launched by President Joseph Aoun. We see this as a serious opportunity to achieve the goal to which all Lebanese strive: a definitive end to this war and the withdrawal of the Israeli army to the international border.”

However, a Lebanese political official warned: “The experience with Israel in all arenas of negotiations is not encouraging, but reinforces the fear that the practice of negotiations will encounter Israeli complexities, blackmail attempts and demands beyond Lebanon’s ability, as well as attempts to establish new rules and equations that it cannot accept. This is Israel’s nature, and therefore we must be vigilant.”

Meanwhile, the terrorist organization continues to attack the very existence of direct negotiations. The Lebanese member of parliament on behalf of Hezbollah, Hassan Fadlallah, said today at a press conference: “We will tear down the yellow line in southern Lebanon and all the consequences of the war. The government’s problem is not with Hezbollah, but with a broad layer of Lebanese who refuse direct negotiations with Israel. This is a big mistake that will increase the internal division in Lebanon. It is a humiliation for you – that you are going to sit with it while it kills your people.”

“We do not want to be dragged into an internal conflict and call for a redesign of the policy based on a minimum of agreement. We want to continue the ceasefire, if Israel fully abides by it,” he continued. “Full commitment means stopping the killings, stopping the aggression and stopping the raking and destruction of the villages. The resistance reacts as it sees fit to the violation by the enemy.”