After Qatar's involvement in Gaza: Will it be part of the diplomatic solution in Lebanon?
Despite the criticism of Qatar's involvement in the Gaza Strip – before Oct. 7 and during the current war in Gaza – the possibility of Qatar participating in a diplomatic agreement to the Israel-Lebanon conflict has been raised.
As reported on KAN 11 evening news on Monday, the mediators involved in the northern front are examining whether Qatar could strengthen and upgrade the Lebanese army as part of the diplomatic solution.
Before any agreement, and still only in the stages of examining the possibility, Qatar has already invested in the Lebanese military to some degree. Now the possibility of increasing its investment – as a part of a larger agreement – is being discussed. The mediators’ goal is to strengthen the Lebanese army and give it control in southern Lebanon.
Earlier yesterday, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari harshly attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his statements, in which he demanded that Qatar put pressure on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages.
"The Israeli prime minister's recent statements calling on Qatar to pressure Hamas to release the hostages are nothing but a new attempt to stall and prolong the war for reasons that have become obvious to everyone," Al-Ansari said.
Last week, Reuters published France's proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, under which Hezbollah would be required to withdraw its forces to a distance of 10 kilometers from the border, while the Lebanese army would prepare to send forces to the southern part of the country.
The proposed plan included three stages that would take place over a period of ten days. According to the proposal, both sides would cease military operations, Israel would stop flights over Lebanon and the two countries would resume border negotiations with the assistance of UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon).
Hassan Fadlallah, a senior Hezbollah politician, responded to the French proposal and told Reuters that they discuss “any matter related to the situation in the south before the halt of [Israeli] aggression on Gaza."
Amichai Stein is a political correspondent for KAN 11.
