The escalation of the political clash over the 'framework agreement' between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and between the 'Shiite duo' led by Speaker Nabih Berri, does not obscure the insistence of 'Hezbollah' and Israel on buying time, each with its own calculations, according to a Western diplomatic source to 'Asharq Al-Awsat', adding that the bet remains on the intervention of the United States with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reduce military escalation in light of his increasing threats to target 'Ali al-Taher Hill,' which is strategically located overlooking the city of Nabatieh and its surroundings, extending to northern Israel and the northern Litani River.
Concerns about Israel and 'Hezbollah' proceeding to buy time remain valid, according to the diplomatic source, and this worries the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, who sought during his visit to Beirut coming from Tel Aviv to prepare the political and security climate for the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the two model areas that include the towns of Feron and Ghndouriyeh (Bint Jbeil District), and Zohtr al-Gharbiyeh (Nabatieh District).
Netanyahu is not in a hurry, a ministerial source accompanying the atmosphere of talks that Cooper held in Beirut, which were limited to Aoun and Army Commander General Rudolf Haikal, stated that he emerged from his meetings in Tel Aviv convinced that Netanyahu is not in a hurry to provide the facilitation needed for the army's deployment in these two areas, and he is currently betting on buying time to conduct parliamentary elections without providing the necessary facilitation to succeed in the army's control plan over them, preemptively imposing a fait accompli in the field. He noted that Cooper focused in his talks in Tel Aviv on reducing military escalation; allowing testing the army's ability to deploy and control them by preventing any presence of non-governmental armed groups, referring to 'Hezbollah,' especially since the 'framework agreement' between Lebanon and Israel under US sponsorship stipulated the selection of two model areas for army deployment, with the idea that the experience would later be generalized to include other areas in conjunction with Israel's withdrawal from them. The source confirmed to 'Asharq Al-Awsat' that Netanyahu did not adequately respond to Cooper's desire to reduce escalation to create a conducive environment for discussing the items in the 'framework agreement' to reach a final agreement regarding Israel's withdrawal to the international borders. He said that Netanyahu continues to exert pressure on Lebanon, currently threatening to target 'Ali al-Taher Hill' to improve his conditions in preparation for his elections.
Hezbollah bets on time, meanwhile, Hezbollah is betting on buying time, waiting for the end of the 60-day deadline agreed upon between the United States and Iran to negotiate on the 'memorandum of understanding' signed between them under Pakistani mediation, and with Islamabad's sponsorship alongside Qatar, which hosted the resumption of a round of indirect negotiations between the two countries in an attempt to create a climate for reaching a final agreement so that the party can build on the basis of linking the Lebanese track to Iran, which Aoun rejects with the support of a parliamentary and popular majority. The source saw that the political clash between Aoun and Salam, and between the 'duo', remains under the cap of 'Hezbollah's' desire to cut time, keeping the 'framework agreement' suspended on what the Iranian-American negotiations will yield, contrary to Aoun's insistence on separating the two tracks, especially since the 'memorandum of understanding,' although it stipulated an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, does not meet the required purpose unless Lebanon enters negotiations regarding the 'framework agreement', hoping to lead to a final agreement with Israel. Therefore, the 'duo' hastened with the comments it made regarding the agreement even though it is not final and represents an agenda for Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, and it should have been prudent in issuing its judgments until it is issued. He said that the 'framework agreement' is nothing more than an agenda for negotiations under Washington's sponsorship and intervention to regulate Netanyahu's rhythm and prevent him from proceeding with his military escalation to impose a fait accompli, which explains his, along with his war allies, threats to launch...