Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are back in the spotlight amid American pressure, with disagreement over direct or indirect negotiation. The results of deliberations and coordination between the three presidencies are awaited, along with the possibility of Israeli military escalation and various means of pressure on Lebanon.
The issue of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel returns to the forefront, amid renewed talk of American pressure to push towards a direct negotiation formula.
In this context, experts confirm that “the United States has proposed the idea of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, but Lebanon is still adhering to indirect negotiations, to address issues related to the issue of borders, prisoner exchange, and other files.”
They point out that “the matter is still under discussion, and we must monitor whether the Americans will accept the formula of indirect negotiation, or whether they will exert pressure to push towards direct negotiation. A question is also raised about the nature of the Lebanese party that will participate in the negotiation process, and whether it will be of a military nature, with the aim of limiting the discussion to border issues only, and avoiding addressing political files, as the participation of a political party may open the door to discussing issues broader than the issue of borders.”
Experts stress that “this file is still under discussion and attraction, and is subject to coordination between the three presidencies, pending the outcome of deliberations in the coming period.”
Regarding the means of pressure that may be exerted on Lebanon to accept direct negotiation, experts say: “We are facing a set of pressure tools, including military, economic, media and diplomatic ones, meaning that there are different ranges of pressures that can be used on Lebanon.”
He adds: “Ultimately, what will happen is what serves the major agenda that the region is heading towards, which is witnessing major transformations. The question remains, will Lebanon follow this path, or will it remain in a position of resistance until the last moment? Therefore, we may witness an escalation in Israeli military operations, and an extension of targeting to include non-military targets and figures. We have recently noticed a focus on sites related to reconstruction, which indicates that the next stage may carry additional escalation. We must wait to see how things will develop in the coming days.”
source: 961 today
