The new head of Hezbollah does not rule out negotiations, but warns that they will take “weeks or months.” Lebanese interim Prime Minister Mikati shows greater optimism and awaits the results of Hochstein’s mission in Israel. But there are still critical voices on both fronts. Meanwhile, the Saudi capital hosts the first meeting of the “International Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution”, lasting two days.
Beirut () – From the Middle East, and in particular from Beirut, come the first – albeit timid – glimmers of hope of a truce that could put an end, even for a limited time, to the spiral of war and violence, in preparation of talks for a more lasting peace. For now there are only words, awaiting concrete actions, while, from Gaza, Hamas leaders reject the proposal for a “brief” interruption of the fighting. Meanwhile, Saudi diplomacy – which had long stayed on the sidelines of the conflicts that torment the region – is also moving, with Riyadh hosting the first meeting of the “international alliance” in favor of the Palestinian state. A timely situation to confirm the condemnation of the “genocide” that is being carried out in Gaza and to reiterate, in response to the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that ties with the Jewish State within the scope of the “Abraham Accords” “are only possible if the two-state solution is applied.
During these hours, the new leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, who assumed the leadership of the Lebanese “Party of God” after the death of the historical leader Hassan Nasrallah, also spoke out and said that he was willing to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Israel. In an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Ad-Diyarreproduced by the Israeli Haaretz, The leader of the Shiite movement, however, warned that it could take “weeks or months” to close the agreement, and that “rapid change on the ground” is not expected, even with an intensification of diplomatic activity. Meanwhile, the violence and deaths continue: today Hezbollah launched an attack on the Israeli border community of Metula, killing five people, an Israeli farmer and four foreign workers.
According to some sources, Hezbollah could withdraw its troops north of the Litani River, establishing a demilitarized zone on the border with Israel, while transferring the weapons load and “disconnecting” its battle from the conflict in Gaza. The short-term objective is to establish a three-day truce with a proposal that will be delivered in the coming days and the considerations of the United States special envoy, Amos Hochstein – who will be in Israel tomorrow – who in the meeting with the Lebanese prime minister , Najib Mikati, would have anticipated the possibility of an opening in Netanyahu’s positions.
However, closed positions persist on both fronts, opposing negotiations or making even some concessions to the opposing front. The president of the Lebanese Parliament, the Shiite Nabih Berri, ruled out any change in UN Resolution 1701 and stated that a change in the terms of the agreement was “out of the question”, “not even a word. Words that do not induce Optimism comes from Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and president of the “Confrontation Line” forum, who, when asked about the diplomatic talks, said: “I do not interfere with the IDF’s military considerations [ejército israelí] but, on a political level, the real threat to our residents has not been eliminated! “There are anti-tank missile fires directed at border communities, and that is happening right now.”
However, a climate of greater confidence is felt near the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office, and Mikati himself has said that he has “confidence” in a possible truce with Israel. The interim prime minister revealed the content of a conversation with Hochstein and raised the possibility of a ceasefire before the US presidential election on November 5. “We are doing everything possible… to achieve a ceasefire in the next few hours or days,” said Mikati, who said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects for a truce. The proposal includes an initial ceasefire that will last for 60 days, during which the Lebanese army will deploy along the border and confiscate Hezbollah weapons in the south. For its part, the Israeli army undertakes to withdraw troops to the other side of the border within seven days, with the support of Lebanese forces – at least 10,000 men – stationed on the border. At the end of the period, Israel and Lebanon should facilitate indirect negotiations mediated by the United States on the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and resolve all border disputes.
Although signs of opening come from the “northern front”, the logic of war and violence continues to prevail in Gaza. In the last few hours, Hamas announced that it rejects the proposal for a temporary truce for the Strip, according to statements made by a senior leader, Taher al-Nounou, to the AFP. The head of the militia recalled that “we have already expressed our position on the idea of a temporary truce in the war, which only serves to resume aggression at a later date.” Finally, he reiterated the need for a “permanent, and not temporary, end to the war” in addition to the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers. [que cada día tienen que actualizar el recuento de muertos, que ya supera los 400 desde el inicio de la guerra] of the Palestinian enclave. Words that extinguish the faint hopes of an interruption of the conflict, the central theme of a meeting currently taking place between Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, one of the most active mediators, and the head of the CIA, William Burns, with the presence of the new number one of Cairo intelligence, Hassan Rashad.
Finally, yesterday the first meeting of a new “international alliance” was held in Riyadh to support the Palestinian cause, aimed at the creation of an independent State alongside the Israeli one in the perspective of a two-state solution. The group was formed last month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and is called the “International Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.” It brings together countries from the Middle East, Europe and other areas with the goal of lasting peace and solution. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said nearly 90 “states and international organizations” are participating in the two-day event in the capital. In Gaza, he warns, “a genocide is taking place [un término que Israel rechaza con desdén] with the aim of expelling the Palestinian people from their land, which Saudi Arabia does not accept.” Riyadh’s head of diplomacy described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic” and denounced the “total blockade” in the north of the Strip. In September , the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the condition for normalization was an “independent Palestinian state”, a position reiterated yesterday by Prince Faisal.
Add Comment