Cairo talks end in stalemate: Israel's assessment of the situation in Lebanon and Gaza

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Negotiations in Cairo officially concluded on Sunday without achieving any breakthrough that would bring hope for a near-term deal. 

However, mediators have continued their efforts behind the scenes, presenting proposals encouraging both sides to show more flexibility on key sticking points.

Unlike previous rounds of talks, this session saw discussions on proposals outside the traditional negotiation framework. Among them were a temporary ceasefire agreement and another focusing on the most contentious issue, the Philadelphi Corridor. 

The proposal suggested a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the area—a move Hamas rejected, although Israel showed some openness to it, according to the Israeli delegation.

As the talks wrapped up, Israel held a meeting to assess the impact of its preemptive strike against Hezbollah and the speech delivered by the group's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. 

Tel Aviv identified the most significant takeaway from Nasrallah's remarks as his declaration that Hezbollah's retaliation for the assassination of commander Fouad Shokor was now complete.

This assessment prompted Israeli security and military officials to refocus on the priority of achieving a deal regarding Gaza, alongside developing a strategic plan to make a breakthrough in negotiations before the end of the year.

During an assessment of Sunday's actions at the Israeli army's operations headquarters, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that military operations would continue until all threats to Israel were neutralized. He reaffirmed Israel's preference for a diplomatic resolution concerning Lebanon.

Despite removing the immediate threat of Hezbollah's retaliation for the Dahieh operation—which kept Israel on edge for 40 days—the Israeli military remains on high alert, especially with the anticipation of an Iranian response.

Moreover, coordination with Washington continues at the highest levels, bolstered by substantial US military support for Israel. 

A statement from Israel's Defense Ministry revealed that since the onset of the Al-Aqsa Flood War, the Israeli military has received 50,000 tons of military equipment and weapons from the United States, transported by 500 cargo planes and 107 ships.

Additionally, just last week, the Pentagon approved a $20 billion arms sale to Israel, which includes fighter jets, air-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, and tank shells.