Enthusiasm in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon over the ceasefire agreement in the Strip between Israel and Hamas. Nawaf Salam, former president of the International Criminal Court, elected new prime minister. Macron is expected in Beirut. The Maronite Church applauds Lebanon’s adoption of the principle of “positive neutrality” in foreign policy. President Aoun’s first trip to Saudi Arabia.
Beirut () – With a mixture of “relief and caution”, due to fears of last-minute ulterior motives of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the high political circles of Beirut and the “new majority” emerging from the presidential vote of the January 9 welcomed the ceasefire reached yesterday in Gaza. The official announcement came at the end of tight negotiations in Doha (Qatar) and as a result of joint pressure from the outgoing US Head of State, Jeo Biden, and his successor, Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on January 20. If the establishment of the ceasefire in the Strip “is a sign that a new regional order is being established”, as some claim, at the same time it is remembered in diplomatic circles that the underlying issue, that is, the definitive establishment of a Palestinian state, remains “unresolved and unchanged.” Furthermore, in one of his latest statements, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, spoke of the “utopia” of an Israeli State only for Jews “in a country where seven million Israelis and five million Palestinians live together.”
On the Lebanese side, the announcement of the ceasefire agreement was received with an explosion of joy marked by machine gun fire, festive marches through streets and squares, fireworks and the distribution of sweets. «It is the moment we have been waiting for for a year and a half, after a genocide and so much suffering. Victory at last!” exclaimed a young woman from Bourj el-Brajné, a Palestinian refugee camp located on the southern outskirts of the capital, quoted by the French-speaking press.
The news of the truce in Gaza comes at a time when, following the election of former army commander Joseph Aoun as president, the “new majority” dealt a new blow to Hezbollah’s prestige by electing the former president of the International Criminal Court , Nawaf Salam, as prime minister by a wide margin (85 votes out of 128). Feeling cheated, the pro-Iran party boycotted the informal parliamentary consultations led by Salam immediately after his election, with a view to forming its executive. “Significantly weakened, Hezbollah not only lost the war, but also its face,” said an authoritative local analyst and commentator, on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
However, in the face of protests from parliamentary blocs that do not want Hezbollah to feel “excluded” from the political game, it is still possible that the party will back down. Prime Minister-designate Salam has pledged not to proceed with government formation until he has held talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry. This meeting will take place tomorrow, Friday, January 17. According to the same sources, Salam is determined to apply the principle of separation of powers to the letter and excludes assigning a ministerial portfolio to a sitting deputy. Furthermore, although it respects the principle of parity between Muslims and Christians within the government, it does not believe that the community components of its executive should necessarily be affiliated with specific political parties or formations.
Transition phase
French President Emmanuel Macron is also expected in Lebanon tomorrow, “in a phase of the country’s history that is transitional” towards a new era, according to a statement issued by the Elysée on the eve of the visit. On this occasion, the transalpine head of state will indirectly confirm the permanent commitment of the “quintet” made up of the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar to play the role of guardian angel of change in Lebanon. In addition, Paris is committed to monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire introduced in November 2024 and to reinforcing French commitment within the UN-led Unifil mission.
In recent days, President Joseph Aoun informed the head of the United States Military Command for the Middle East (Centcom), Erik Kurilla, received in Baabda, about the slowness of the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory with just over 10 days left. that the 60-day deadline for completion (January 27) is met. He also informed him that an accessory file to the ceasefire had been completed, with the dismantling of all military installations of the Palestinian factions still dispersed in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa. Some of them had provided military support to Hezbollah in its war supporting Hamas, which began on October 8, 2023.
Furthermore, in a move to rebalance his presence in the Arab world, we have learned that the new Head of State will soon travel to Saudi Arabia, his first official trip outside Lebanon, in response to an official invitation from Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman.
Positive neutrality
From the presidential palace of Baabda, where he was received yesterday morning by Aoun, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Raï stressed the need to be optimistic to overcome the challenges. “President Aoun – said the cardinal – hopes that a government will be formed as soon as possible, without exclusions, so that all parties can participate in the reconstruction of the country.” In his inaugural speech, the new head of state stated that the “positive neutrality” advocated by the primate of the Maronite Church would be the guiding principle of Lebanese foreign policy under his mandate.
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