“Lebanon Debate”
In the wake of declared American optimism and field and political complications, the third day of the direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington was concluded, according to a formula that intertwined the proposed proposals and mechanisms regarding the Israeli withdrawal, the scheduling of its stages, and the starting points in the experimental areas in which the withdrawal will begin in an initial phase. It is a formula that summarizes the equation that governed the course of the negotiation sessions over the past three days.
American pressure was not absent from the discussions of the two delegations, in an attempt to reach a “declaration of intent” that establishes the next stage, which is expected to begin with a phased Israeli withdrawal from some areas, coinciding with the entry of the Lebanese army into them, within the “step for step” equation, leading to achieving a gradual withdrawal.
The President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, informed Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, about the results of the ongoing contacts, without any indications emerging of close political meetings with representatives of the party regarding the negotiation process.
In parallel, the controversy over the Lebanese military delegation’s refusal to take a memorial photo with the Israeli delegation was sparked by a response from a military source, who stressed that the success of the mission is measured by the results and not by protocol aspects, stressing that the sensitivity of the stage and the continuation of the confrontation require taking into account the feelings of the Lebanese and the families of the soldiers who fell during the war.
On the ground, conflicting information emerged regarding an Israeli withdrawal from part of the buffer zone in southern Lebanon. While an American official spoke of a “goodwill gesture” represented by a limited withdrawal, Israel officially denied taking any decision of this kind, while a Lebanese source confirmed that the information circulating about any Israeli retreat on the ground was incorrect.
In parallel, President Aoun and French Ambassador Herve Magro followed up on efforts to hold an international conference to support the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces, while French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and Italy are seeking to form a multinational coalition to replace the UNIFIL forces in Lebanon.
As for the internal level, the Council of Ministers took an exceptional decision to cancel the official examinations for the secondary certificate and the technical baccalaureate for the academic year 2025-2026, and replace them with success certificates, in a move that sparked a wide debate about the future of the official certificates.
The cancellation decision did not succeed in covering up the shock caused by the “environmental” fees, which affected basic commodities, especially food, which heralds a wave of widespread popular objections in protest against the expected rise in prices in various sectors, in light of the high prices that threaten what remains of the purchasing power of citizens, who are already suffering from enormous social, financial and economic pressures due to crises and war.
The International Monetary Fund anticipated this expected crisis and sounded the alarm, warning of the deterioration of the economy and the worsening of deflation.
In the southern square, the scene remained in a state of security tension, as a result of Israeli targeting and attacks on a number of villages, which escalated in the evening, until an exodus was recorded after midnight from the city of Nabatieh.
In a related context, the government began practical preparations for the return and recovery phase in the south, through a meeting chaired by its president, Nawaf Salam, devoted to coordinating the efforts of the relevant ministries and departments. Salam affirmed the state’s commitment to accompanying the return of the people and securing the elements of steadfastness, stressing that the south should not be left alone in facing the repercussions of the war.
