Report: Western diplomat tells Lebanon escalation and pacification chances equal

A Western diplomat has told Lebanese officials that the chances of escalation and pacification between Israel and Hezbollah are “still equal,” a media report said.

“The U.S. administration is trying to impose a low-intensity status quo in the region pending the (U.S.) presidential vote, after which the files can be permanently settled,” the Western diplomat told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Friday.

“The roadmap involves the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza agreement and extending negotiations over the second phase until November. This will include a ceasefire that applies to the front in south Lebanon and preserves the lives of the Israeli captives, after which the focus can become on the day-after period in Gaza and on all fronts,” the diplomat added.

Israel’s Maariv newspaper meanwhile reported that the political class in Israel, both the ruling coalition and the opposition, are convinced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is inclined to strike a deal with Hamas, which will “begin in August and last until the beginning of (Donald) Trump’s term.”