Today, Tuesday, Lebanon is witnessing a decisive turning point in the course of negotiations with Israel, as the first direct meeting between them will be held under American mediation in more than four decades, with the official confirmation that the discussions will be limited to the ceasefire file.
All eyes are on Washington, which is hosting this important meeting between the two parties. Lebanon will be represented at this meeting by Ambassador Nada Hamada Moawad, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the American Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, will be present on the American side, in addition to the Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter.
This meeting was preceded by public communication, the first of its kind, between the Lebanese ambassador and her Israeli counterpart, sponsored by “Michel Issa,” where it was agreed to organize a meeting at the US State Department to discuss the truce in preparation for the start of a direct negotiating path.
In this context, high-level official sources confirmed that the Lebanese delegation is authorized to limit discussions to the ceasefire or truce file, without delving into any other issues. The sources indicated that contacts are ongoing to ensure obtaining American pledges that will push the Israeli side to agree to this proposal as a basic condition for any future negotiations.
This development comes in conjunction with a field escalation in the south, especially around the city of Bint Jbeil, where the Israeli army announced that its forces had surrounded the city from several directions after violent clashes.
According to military sources, the encirclement took place across five main axes, which included an advance from the axes of Ain Ebel – Dibal – Hanin, and Maroun al-Ras – Aitaroun – Yaron, in addition to the axes of Ainata and Safa al-Hawa, all the way to Kunine, Al-Tiri and Rishaf – Beit Lev, which enabled the Israeli forces to control the roads linking them.
The sources explained that this deployment places the city in a very complex military situation, given its field and symbolic importance, as it was previously a platform for delivering pivotal speeches in the history of the confrontation with Israel.
