Quintet Committee's dual focus: Lebanon's security and Presidential file

On Thursday, follow-ups on the mission of US envoy Amos Hochstein were absent. Officials were also absent from the hearing after caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that communications between officials and Hochstein would resume within "48 hours." However, something did not happen, at least openly, after 72 hours had passed.

This article was originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.

 

On the other hand, Israel announced a position concerning confrontations in the south. The Israeli army on Thursday published an internal investigation order for the Chief of Staff, General Herzi Halevi, related to the events of October 7 last year in the Gaza envelope, which escalated into a war in the Palestinian sector and is still ongoing. 

Regarding this investigation, Halevi said: "This is part of the preparation for a comprehensive war in Lebanon, drawing lessons and conclusions from the war in Gaza."

In parallel, the Israeli army denied what was issued in the media in Lebanon regarding the statement that March 15 was set as the start date for the war in Lebanon, saying: "There is no date set for the start of the war in Lebanon."

On the other hand, on Thursday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem denied taking a stance on the issue of the war date, saying: "If it attacks, we will break its legs, along with those with it."

In a related context, "Nidaa Al-Watan" learned that the Quintet Committee, which met on Thursday, expressed interest in the security file in Lebanon despite reiterating that it is following up on the presidential file in what seemed to be a routine process.

The ambassadors of the Quintet held a meeting at the Qatari Embassy in Beirut. The embassy stated in a statement issued after the meeting "that the meeting presented developments in Lebanon and discussed the presidential file." 

It noted that "the ambassadors reiterated the priority of electing a president and expressed their continuous support for completing the presidential election as soon as possible."

After the ambassadors' meeting, Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal Al-Thani visited the Druze leader Walid Joumblatt in Clemenceau. According to sources, the meeting was "very fruitful."

In the same context, "Nidaa Al-Watan" learned that US Ambassador Lisa Johnson, who met with several MPs at MP Michel Daher's home in Ferzol, said that the Quintet considers the initiative of the National Moderation Bloc parliamentary bloc consistent with the efforts of the committee in which it participates. 

She explained that Washington's interest in the Lebanese file will continue until next November before the United States enters its presidential elections. She also pointed out the convergence of positions among the Quintet members.

Regarding the prospects of the Quintet's work, diplomatic sources revealed that the role of the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian has "ended." This was attributed to the fact that the initiative launched by Paris "no longer exists."