On the agenda of the intense political files in the coming days, attention is directed towards extending the term for the Army Commander General, Joseph Aoun.
This article was originally published in and translated from the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anbaa.
The matter has undergone thorough legal and political review before reaching the Nejmeh Square, the location of the Lebanese Parliament, where its "Bureau" will convene on Monday, paving the way for the "General Assembly" meeting scheduled for Thursday, the 14th of this month.
According to what informed sources told Al Anbaa, among the MPs supporting the extension, some fear repeating the "game of withdrawal" from the parliamentary session scheduled for next Thursday following the passage of other law proposals, similar to what happened during the presidential election rounds.
However, these sources express confidence in the session "management" by Speaker Nabih Berri, simultaneously warning of the consequences of the internal situation in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Mikati is leaving for Geneva on a three-day visit to participate in a conference on Syrian refugees.
During the conference, he will deliver a speech on behalf of Lebanon, aiming to alleviate the pressure on host countries, enhance refugees' "self-reliance," expand access to third countries, and support conditions in the countries of origin for a safe and dignified return.
On another note, Lebanese parliamentary sources considered France's vote in the UN Security Council in favor of a resolution to ceasefire in Gaza, presented by the United Arab Emirates and hindered by US veto, an opportunity for the French security-diplomatic delegation advocating for the implementation of Resolution 1701.
This delegation found "receptive ears" among most of the political parties they met in Lebanon following the rejection faced by French President Emmanuel Macron's pro-Israel stance in Gaza.
The French delegation met the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and government sources clarified to Al Anbaa that the visit is part of a mission covering the region's countries, commissioned by the French government, to urge Lebanon to take essential steps to expedite stability in the south.
The delegation, including the Director General of Political and Security Affairs of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Frédéric Mondoloni, and the Director-General for International Relations and Strategy in the French Ministry of Armed Forces, Alice Rufo, also met Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, who welcomed the effort aimed at the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
He noted that Israeli violations of this resolution have exceeded 30,000 since 2006, and these Israeli "encroachments" on the Lebanese border must stop.
The French delegation also met with the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, in the presence of the French Ambassador, Hervé Magro.
The delegation emphasized the importance of the role of the Lebanese army in preserving Lebanon's security and stability. At the same time, General Aoun thanked France for its continuous support of the military institution.
It is worth mentioning that France recently suspended aid allocated to the Lebanese army to exert pressure on Lebanese politicians to prevent a vacuum in the leadership of the military institution, as the army commander approaches retirement on January 10th next year.
French diplomatic sources expect Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to visit Beirut next week.
The French delegation that visited Israel also expressed its concern about the potential recurrence of Hamas' experience in breaching the Gaza envelope in southern Lebanon and through the Radwan Force affiliated with Hezbollah, according to "Nidaa Al-Watan" newspaper, which responded to the French interest in implementing Resolution 1701 to a similar Israeli concern.