The focus is shifting from the army leadership and the extension for Commander Joseph Aoun to the anticipated visit of French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to Lebanon.
This article was initially published in, translated from the online newspaper Al-Anbaa.
This follows a series of positions from Tel Aviv, emphasizing the need to de-escalate tensions along the Lebanese border and reach a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.
Publicly, Colonna is expected to exert French pressure to halt the ongoing clashes in the south and reduce the existing escalation.
However, there is no confirmed information about what she will carry in her discussions behind the scenes with the leaders she will meet. Nevertheless, the atmosphere suggests a pivotal point, focusing on the situation in the south and UN Resolution 1701.
It is anticipated that Colonna will meet with the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Army Commander Joseph Aoun and visit the south.
The visit comes after information about the French President Emmanuel Macron canceling his planned visit to Lebanon.
Political sources told Al-Anbaa that "Colonna will stress the necessity of stopping the escalation in southern Lebanon, and she may discuss behind the scenes what is being said about projects to pressure Hezbollah to withdraw from the south to north of the Litani River."
In a statement to the newspaper, the sources link the visit to statements by Israeli officials and available information as the Israeli government "says either to diplomatically remove Hezbollah from its borders or resort to force to do so. There is also information about American-French efforts to change the security situation in southern Lebanon."
Confirming these atmospheres is a statement by the member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, MP Hassan Fadlallah, who said, "Neither diplomacy will achieve anything for Israel, nor will the military. They say they have set a timeline for a decisive victory in Lebanon but will only reap disappointment, loss, and defeat."
"This is not a rhetorical speech but facts that the enemy has experienced and our people and nation have witnessed. The leaders of the enemy are in severe confusion and are detached from reality, as seen in Gaza and southern Lebanon," he added.
In conclusion, the south remains on a delicate balance, even though the war is still controlled according to specific rules of engagement because Israel could expand its operations southward at any moment to attempt to implement its project.
The race is between diplomacy and the "drums of war" to save Lebanon and the region. In case political efforts fail, possibilities are open on both fronts.