Against the backdrop of preparations for negotiations with Israel, Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan reported that Saudi Arabia was working to coordinate positions among Lebanon's three top leaders: President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
According to the report, the intention is to hold a trilateral meeting between them Wednesday and issue a joint statement on the latest developments.
A Lebanese source stressed that Saudi efforts on Lebanon's behalf would not be affected by positions supporting escalation, particularly the one expressed by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem in his statement Monday.
Saudi Arabia pushing for a united position
According to the source, Saudi Arabia is working to establish a unified position among the Lebanese leadership in negotiations with Israel, as formulated by Aoun.
This position includes an immediate ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the release of Hezbollah detainees, the return of residents to southern Lebanon and a reconstruction process. These points are also cited by Hezbollah.
On Monday, Qassem attacked the Lebanese government's conduct in a written statement. He declared that the terrorist organization opposed direct negotiations with Israel and that the Lebanese authorities had rushed to make concessions for nothing in return. He said the negotiations had no meaning and that Hezbollah would continue acting against Israel. He also again rejected the demand that the organization disarm.
Confrontation between Aoun and Hezbollah
In response, the Lebanese president issued a statement against Hezbollah, without naming the organization, and accused it of treason.
"There are those who criticize us for deciding to enter negotiations, claiming there is no national consensus," Aoun said. "And I ask: When you went to war, did you have a national consensus?"
"Before the start of negotiations, there were those who criticized and accused us of treason, claiming we were heading into negotiations of surrender," Aoun said. "We say to them: Let the negotiations begin, and then judge the result."
He added: "How long will the people of southern Lebanon continue to pay the price for others' wars on our soil? The latest of these were the war in support of Gaza and the war in support of Iran. If the war had been for Lebanon, we would have supported it, but when the purpose of the war is to achieve the interests of others, I reject it completely."
"What we are doing is not treason," Aoun said. "Treason is committed by those who take their country to war in order to achieve foreign interests. My goal is to bring the state of war with Israel to an end, in the form of a hudna agreement, an armistice or temporary ceasefire. Is a hudna agreement humiliation? I will not accept reaching a humiliating agreement."
