Egypt offers to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Lebanon
Egypt has offered to mediate talks between Israel and Lebanon amid rising fears that Tel Aviv will relaunch a full-scale war against Hezbollah, according to The New Arab plus agencies on November 3rd.
Lebanon has been reaching out to regional and global powers to help deter heightened Israeli offensives in its southern region. This follows reports of injuries after a vehicle in southern Lebanon was targeted in an Israeli air strike.
Egyptian, German, and US officials have visited the Lebanese capital of Beirut in recent days in response to the rapidly rising tensions. During a meeting with officials in Beirut in late October, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad offered to mediate a de-escalation.
Israeli officials have been warning that Beirut must fully disarm Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese political party with its own paramilitary wing, or face accelerated military operations.
The Egyptian delegation commended Lebanon’s commitment to disarming Hezbollah and expressed unease over Israel’s heightened aggression against south Lebanese communities.
Rashad emphasised the pressing need to stabilise an increasingly strained ceasefire by promptly resolving the dispute between Israel and Lebanon.
The conflict began in late 2023 when Hezbollah started launching strikes on areas of northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. After a year of war, Israel and Lebanon signed a truce.
The US-brokered deal was implemented in November 2024 and stipulated that Israeli forces fully withdraw from Lebanese territory in exchange for the total disarmament of Hezbollah.
A Lebanese source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “there is optimism about the role Egypt can play, especially since it understands Lebanon’s political nature better, supports the steps taken by the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army, and stresses the need for Israel to stop its aggression.”
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has maintained a military presence in five areas of southern Lebanon and raids villages on a near-daily basis, according to Al Jazeera on November 2nd.
The Guardian reported on October 30th that Israeli troops stormed a municipal building in the south of Lebanon, where they killed an employee, Ibrahim Salameh, as he was in bed asleep.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the raid and ordered his army to “confront any Israeli incursion into liberated southern territory, in defence of Lebanese territory and the safety of citizens.
Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes continue to bombard the territory in violation of the ceasefire under the pretext of targeting Hezbollah’s offensive infrastructure. Israeli defence Minister Israel Katz warned that “Hezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet” in enforcing the disarmament clause.
The Lebanese government has repeatedly stated that it is committed to disarmament, but it must ensure that it does not rush the process as doing so risks sparking a civil war.
The New Arab plus agencies, Maghrebi.org, Al Jazeera, The Guardian
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