Political sources told Nidaa Al Watan that the Lebanese state, represented by the president and the prime minister, must move swiftly and without hesitation to seize the opportunity that has opened for peace negotiations, and to appear as a real state holding its decision-making power alone, by immediately taking three necessary sovereign decisions:
First, forming a streamlined negotiating delegation free from sectarian and confessional constraints.
Second, informing Hezbollah decisively to cease fire, even unilaterally, and to begin drawing up a specific roadmap with a short time frame for handing over its weapons.
Third, communicating with Lebanon’s Arab and Western friends, especially the Vatican, so that they can form a safety net and a pressure "lobby" on the countries concerned, giving the Lebanese negotiator the moral cover needed to face Israeli pressure.
An official source also confirmed to Nidaa Al Watan that the Lebanese state’s position is that it alone should monopolize direct negotiations with Israel, stressing the importance of replicating the Iran-US model: a ceasefire and a two-week truce, followed by negotiations. The source said this was the position expressed by the president during the Cabinet session.
The source indicated that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri agrees with this proposal and is awaiting Hezbollah’s position, after the party delegated him. At the same time, Lebanon will not accept mere de-escalation; rather, there must be a comprehensive halt to escalation in order to proceed to negotiations. The source explained that the level of the delegation would not rise to that of a foreign minister, because Israel will not send its foreign minister to the talks. The source also confirmed that Lebanon has requested US guarantees, which Washington would sponsor once negotiations begin. The source concluded: "If Lebanon insists on negotiating after the truce, and Israel insists on negotiating under fire, the negotiations may be stalled."
The sources concluded by noting that a ceasefire or a reduction in Israeli strikes, important as that may be, should not become an obstacle to launching negotiations. The real defeat, they said, would be to remain without negotiations and for Lebanon to continue as an arena of killing, destruction and death without limits or restraints, as is the case now.
While President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam insist on the need for a ceasefire first — something Israel will not accept — the information indicated that Netanyahu agreed with the US president to scale down, meaning to reduce the strikes on Lebanon, and that this is the maximum Israel will offer.
