Lebanese media revealed that the Swiss negotiations included the confirmation of a new initiative proposed by Qatar that stipulates that Qatar will run indirect negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah without neglecting the official Lebanese side, with the aim of reaching a permanent and long-term truce on Lebanon's southern border.
According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Qatar has received US approval for mediation, "on the condition that it does not involve other parties such as France or the United Nations", according to the newspaper, which is known for its proximity to Hezbollah.
The newspaper added that the Qatari initiative and mediation will later shift from managing the file of the war with Israel to playing a role in addressing Lebanon's internal crises, amid expectations of preparing for "Doha-2" as a framework for reorganizing the political authority in Lebanon.
Al-Akhbar considered that "with the US administration's approval of fixing a negotiating track with Iran, Lebanon is no longer an arena separate from the major regional arrangements, but has become one of its main keys, and from this particular angle, the Iranian-American-Qatari mechanism has emerged as the clearest expression of the ongoing transformation in the management of the Lebanese file."
"Washington 5" to be held today
The fifth round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington will be held on Tuesday in the wake of US pressure to calm down, especially after the Iranian-American agreement to establish a de-escalation cell in Lebanon, without specifying its tasks or other details yet, US diplomatic sources said.
Lebanon is trying to take advantage of the atmosphere of the Iranian-American talks, despite its insistence on separating the two tracks, and keeping its external contacts open in order to follow up on developments and proposals related to the full consolidation of the ceasefire.
A joint statement issued by Netanyahu, Katz andZamir after a security meeting said their forces "will continue to work to neutralize threats to Israel's soldiers and citizens, destroy the infrastructure of armed groups and preserve the security zone in southern Lebanon."
The statement added that the three officials clearly stressed that the security of Israelis and military forces will remain the guiding principle that accepts no compromises.
Washington ends its absolute mandate for Israel in Lebanon
A senior Israeli official said the United States had informed Tel Aviv of the expiration of the mandate that allowed it to "operate without restrictions" in Lebanon, according to Hebrew media.
The unnamed official was quoted by the private Hebrew Channel 13 as saying that the US message received by Israel in recent weeks was clear: that the previous authorization to move without restrictions in Lebanon had ended.
The channel added that despite Netanyahu's assertion that "forces in southern Lebanon enjoy full freedom of action," US President Donald Trump is imposing restrictions on Israel, not only in Lebanon, but in other arenas as well. She pointed out that the US restrictions imposed on Israel are expanding on more than one front.
The channel revealed that the Israeli political level has issued official directives to the army specifying the scope of permitted and prohibited movements in Lebanon. These directives allow for freedom of action within the so-called "yellow line" and for the purpose of thwarting direct threats, while prohibiting the implementation of operations in remote areas such as the capital Beirut and the district of Tyre in the south of the country.
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