Navigating Ambiguity: French Envoy's Mission, Lebanese Politics, and the Ongoing Regional Crisis

The visit of French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Beirut has not yet clarified whether any progress has been made regarding the presidential entitlement. 

Le Drian added to it the entitlement of the army leadership. If the presidential entitlement is stalled due to the interests of the parties involved, then the one for the army is also affected at the moment due to the hindrance of the forces themselves. 

 

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the "COP 28" conference in Dubai, discussing the results of Le Drian's meetings in Beirut, did not reveal any confirmation of tangible progress on the tracks the French envoy is working on.

Awaiting the call from Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, for a legislative session to decide on the extension of the army commander's term, political tensions persist until this matter is resolved. 

In this context, parliamentary sources mentioned that the issue of calling for a legislative session will be settled next week after the joint committees complete a set of laws to be discussed in the general assembly.

Regarding Mikati's participation in the "COP28" conference, government sources stated that Mikati intended this participation because this forum gathers most world leaders. Mikati has been meeting with a significant number of these leaders, especially those concerned with the Middle East, to affirm Lebanon's presence on the international stage and explain the Lebanese reality and the Israeli aggression it faces. These meetings may help maintain Lebanon and prevent it from sliding into war.

The sources indicated that "Mikati, who also met with the leaders of the governments of Britain, Ireland, Italy, and others, will continue his meetings today, Sunday," pointing out that "the situation in Lebanon was present in all these meetings, in addition to consultations regarding the cessation of the war on Lebanon because things seem to be heading towards escalation.

This as military attacks by Israel continued in the south, targeting homes in several villages. Israeli planes also conducted airstrikes along the border areas. Meanwhile, Hezbollah targeted Israeli occupation sites along the border, triggering alarm sirens in northern settlements, reaching Nazareth and its surroundings, and in northern Haifa.

In Gaza, Israel's genocidal war persisted, focusing on airstrikes and shelling in the central Gaza Strip. Residents of Khan Yunis were instructed to head south. Warplanes destroyed over fifty buildings and houses in the eastern part of the city, especially in the residential area of Hamad, resulting in dozens of casualties.

While Netanyahu's government tried to blame Hamas for not extending the ceasefire, Deputy Head of the movement, Saleh al-Arouri, announced that any new prisoner exchange would only occur after a complete cessation of the war. He affirmed that Hamas would not accept anything less than the release of all prisoners and detainees from occupation prisons.

After all these developments, do international interventions succeed in pressuring Israel and the United States to halt the war and begin granting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people? Or will the region face the danger of the war expanding? Internally, the recurring question is whether some will deviate from their rigid positions to pull Lebanon out of its crisis.