Recent statements by Lebanon’s Shiite duo - the Amal Movement and Hezbollah - indicate a tacit acceptance that Israeli forces could remain in Lebanese territory during an anticipated ceasefire phase.
This marks a shift from their previous insistence that any truce be accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal, the return of displaced residents to their villages, and the reconstruction of areas devastated by the war with Israel since 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday blamed Hezbollah for the latest escalation, telling CNBC that it was being driven by Hezbollah rather than Israel and that his government remained committed to the ceasefire.
He also said that US President Donald Trump shares his objective of stripping Hezbollah of its arsenal and turning Lebanon into a demilitarized state.
A Lebanese source involved in ongoing contacts between Beirut and Washington said the demands of the Shiite duo, represented in negotiations by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, no longer focus on Israeli withdrawal or reconstruction.
Instead, the source said, their position is now limited to securing a ceasefire across land, sea and air, along with an end to the demolition and bulldozing operations carried out by Israeli forces in occupied Lebanese territory.
However, sources familiar with the duo’s position told Asharq Al-Awsat that the immediate objective is achieving a ceasefire in all its dimensions, stressing that subsequent steps — including an Israeli withdrawal, reconstruction efforts, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to areas vacated by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon — would follow once a truce is in place.
Lebanese and Israeli diplomats held a second day of direct talks in Washington on Wednesday, the fourth such round since the outbreak of the war on March 2. The discussions coincided with an Israeli military escalation and intensified Lebanese contacts with Washington aimed at pressing Israel to implement a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon that would also apply to Hezbollah.
On Monday evening, Trump announced that a de-escalation arrangement had been reached between Hezbollah and Israel, saying that Israel would refrain from attacking Hezbollah and that Hezbollah would likewise refrain from attacking Israel. He also revealed he had stopped an Israeli strike on Beirut.
Israel on Tuesday underscored what it described as a “new equation,” under which it would strike Beirut’s southern suburbs if Hezbollah targeted northern Israel, adding that the United States had endorsed the principle.
Hezbollah Deputy Chairman of the Political Council Mahmoud Qomati told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that the group would not accept any partial ceasefire agreement and rejected any arrangement that would trade an end to Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs for a halt to Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom voiced support for Lebanon’s negotiating efforts. The Lebanese presidency said President Joseph Aoun received a phone call from UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell to discuss security and military developments in Lebanon, as well as the course of negotiations.
Powell reaffirmed Britain’s support for Lebanon and its political choices aimed at preserving the country’s security and stability, according to the presidency.
