One day before the direct negotiation session between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, which will be attended for the first time by former Ambassador Simon Karam, who was appointed by Lebanon as head of its negotiating delegation, Israel was expanding the scope of targeting, especially of cars, creating a kind of panic on the roads, after the Israeli army announced in a brief statement that it had begun launching strikes on Hezbollah targets in several areas in southern Lebanon, in a new violation of the ceasefire agreement. Noting here that Lebanon is calling on the United States to put pressure on Israel, in order to stop its attacks, which it has intensified in recent days, despite the validity of a supposed truce between Israel and Hezbollah. What is the atmosphere hours before this negotiation? Well-informed political sources revealed that the priority for Lebanon currently is to establish a ceasefire so that negotiations can begin in earnest, while the issue of weapons is always on the table, but it is not a condition for launching negotiations, which will also address files: prisoners, Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese regions, reconstruction, the return of the displaced, and the deployment of the Lebanese army. The source considered that with regard to establishing the ceasefire, there are two lines: -The Israeli line, as Lebanon asks the United States, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador in Beirut, Michel Issa, to put pressure on Tel Aviv, and this is all it can do. - Hezbollah’s line, where President Aoun is conducting a series of contacts with the Shiite duo, and has addressed to him a four-item proposal through “mutual friends” who are also seeking to arrange a meeting for Representative Hassan Fadlallah - who is charged with communicating with the Presidency of the Republic by the party - to discuss the negotiation and ceasefire file, knowing that if the duo presents positive ideas in response to Aoun’s proposal, they will be useful in the negotiations. The source added: But as long as Israel is not committed, Hezbollah will continue to respond, while the American-Israeli side demands the party’s commitment first. To read the full article click here