Qatar, Iran and Pakistan are not: the new mechanism established in Lebanon

A new mechanism for maintaining the ceasefire in Lebanon was announced tonight (between Sunday and Monday) by the mediators Qatar and Pakistan. The mechanism is expected to replace the mechanism established under the auspices of the previous ceasefire in Lebanon in 2024 and according to Israel did not fulfill its role. The details of the new mechanism are still unclear, but it already appears that the composition of the member states of the mechanism is much more hostile to Israel – and she herself does not participate in it directly.

The new mechanism was announced in an official and joint announcement on the X network of Qatar and Pakistan. According to the announcement, it will include 5 countries – the United States, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar and Lebanon. The previous mechanism included Israel, Lebanon, France, the United States and UNIFIL – so the new composition does not bode well for Israel.

In Iran they welcomed the establishment of the new mechanism. “The tireless mediation of Pakistan and Qatar has yielded significant progress on the way to ending the war in Lebanon,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, adding that the “first real test” of the contacts between Tehran and Washington is “the prevention of friction in Lebanon.”

In the Lebanese media outlet LBC it was reported that the President of the country Joseph Aoun brought support for the new mechanism in a conversation with officials in Qatar and the US. It was also reported that Qatar is expected to bridge Beirut, Tehran and Washington, and the United States will be responsible for coordinating with Israel within the new mechanism.

The new Magnon actually brings in Qatar and Pakistan, and excludes Israel, France and UNIFIL. Although the powers of the newly created cell are not clear, nor is its mode of operation, it is clear that the new composition does not lean in Israel’s favor compared to the old composition.

In addition, Qatar’s inclusion in the mechanism signals that its regional power is being strengthened. The breakaway state plays a central role in the Gaza issue, mediating between the US and Iran towards a final agreement, and now also in maintaining the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu responded today to the new mechanism in a video he published and emphasized that the instructions following the new mechanism have not changed and the IDF’s freedom of action in southern Lebanon will be preserved. “My and the Defense Minister’s directive to the IDF is clear and has not changed: our fighters in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat to them or to the residents of the north. The IDF has no restrictions in this regard,” he said.

Netanyahu also added that Israel does not intend to change the deployment of its forces following the new arrangement. “I firmly stand by the fact that we will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon as long as it takes to protect the residents of the north and all the citizens of the country,” he said, stressing that he gives full backing to the forces operating in the sector.

As mentioned, the countries that made up the previous mechanism to maintain the ceasefire, which was established under the auspices of the ceasefire in November 2024, were France, Lebanon, Israel and the USA, while UNIFIL was also a party to the mechanism. France, which is close to the Lebanese leadership and has historical ties to the country, was supposed to take a significant part in mediating the Lebanese side, alongside the US.

According to the mechanism, the Lebanese army with the assistance of the United Nations force (UNIFIL) was supposed to deal with the arming of Hezbollah and the violations of the ceasefire by the terrorist organization. Israel claimed that the Lebanese army was not adequately enforcing the agreement, and according to reports it was informally agreed that it would retain its right to respond militarily to current threats and violations by Hezbollah – a right it actually exercised.

The old mechanism was also criticized by Hezbollah. The terrorist organization claimed that it was a hostile collaboration between the state of Lebanon and Israel against it. Representatives of the Magnon companies met regularly to try and continue the security and political coordination, and to preserve the ceasefire – but it collapsed after Hezbollah decided in March to join the campaign between Israel and the United States against Iran.