Lebanon backs idea of coordination cell to secure ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal

President Joseph Aoun has expressed support, during a phone call with U.S. and Qatari officials, for the creation of a coordination cell tasked with consolidating a permanent ceasefire and ensuring an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. 

He later briefed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on the content of the trilateral call.

According to informed sources, there is no contradiction between discussions taking place in Switzerland on the Lebanese file and parallel negotiations in Washington. 

The proposed mechanism to establish a coordination cell is said to be agreed upon within the U.S. administration, particularly between Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who continues to oversee the Lebanon dossier.

The sources also point to a central Qatari role in the Lebanese track, in coordination with Saudi Arabia. 

Qatar is expected to act as a communication bridge between Beirut, Tehran, and Washington, while the United States would handle coordination with Israel, which, according to the same sources, remains firm in its position regarding withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon.