Aoun to the White House and US pressure to move negotiations to Rome

Lebanese President  Joseph Aoun, through the Lebanese embassy in Washington, received an official invitation from the White House to visit the US capital on July 21 to hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump.   

An official statement issued by the Lebanese Embassy in Washington explained that this invitation comes as the culmination of an intensive period of diplomatic efforts and joint coordination, noting that the summit will discuss strengthening bilateral relations and continued US support for Lebanon's sovereignty, stability and official institutions, in addition to discussing the burning regional security files in the region.

Lebanese Vito

In conjunction with the preparations for the visit to Washington, Israeli circles have tried to promote other dimensions of the summit, as the Hebrew newspaper "Maariv" reported that during his upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump may seek to raise the possibility of holding a trilateral meeting that brings together the three leaders within the framework of a broader regional move that includes the files of Lebanon, Iran, and the northern security arrangements.

On the other hand, President Aoun blocked these speculations, conclusively confirming that Netanyahu's meeting is not on the table at all, in light of the continued systematic Israeli attacks on the Lebanese and the continuous violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

Behind the scenes of Rome

At the level of indirect negotiations, a new knot emerged in the venue of the sixth round, where the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yehael Leiter, announced a move to hold the talks in Rome in the middle of this month.

A  US diplomatic source said  that the transfer of the negotiations came at the request of the US to facilitate the movement of delegations due to the geographical proximity, which Tel Aviv agreed to to ease the pressure exerted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, Lebanon initially rejected this transfer, insisting on remaining in Washington, and stipulated that it would obtain written guarantees confirming the continued direct and effective involvement of the US administration in sponsoring the agreement and not leaving it to Israeli de facto policy.

The Battle for Stability

Meanwhile, the "Model Test Zones" file emerged as one of the main headlines for the affirmation of the framework agreement and the cessation of Israeli destruction.

Lebanese military sources told Lebanese media that the Lebanese army has completed all its logistical and field preparations, and has developed detailed maps and time stages for the implementation of the deployment in the areas of the first phase, which includes the towns of Zoutar al-Gharbiya, Froon and Ghandouriya, under the supervision of the Directorate of Operations headed by Brigadier General George Rizkallah, and a field command of Brigadier General Nicolas Tabet, pending the official political decision from the Council of Ministers to set the zero hour.

Obstacles on the ground

Despite the full readiness of the Lebanese army, the actual implementation on the ground still encounters complex political and field obstacles, as cross-information indicates that political contacts with Hezbollah have so far not achieved a breach that would guarantee its full agreement to the mechanisms for withdrawal and surrender of weapons in those model areas. On the other hand, Israel continues to circumvent US pressure and postpone the implementation of its commitments, in order to prevent the return of tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese to their villages to establish a new geographical reality, as well as its forces continue to occupy strategic points such as Zuter al-Sharqiyah and Yahmar al-Shukif to maintain military control over the historic fortress of al-Shukif.

Ongoing Israeli escalation on the ground

The Israeli obstruction was not limited to political positions, but was translated on the ground through serious and continuous violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement during the past hours.

According to field reports from southern Lebanon, Israeli warplanes launched three violent night raids in three batches targeting the area between the towns of Beit Yahoun, Kunin and Barashit in the Bint Jbeil district.

He also carried out another raid targeting the Ali al-Taher neighborhood on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fuqa, preceded by waves of sporadic artillery shelling, which threatens to torpedo the fragile truce and return the area to the wide square of escalation.