A Lebanese Army soldier inspects the wreckage of a car at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Zahrani on Jan. 21, 2026. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
Israel’s conditions are draconian, and Lebanon cannot bear them, according to Lebanese officials who have been repeating this over the past few days to describe the current state of diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring calm.The assessment comes as the cease-fire monitoring “Mechanism,” in its current form, has ground to a halt. Negotiations appear frozen, pending agreement on a new framework.“If the Mechanism collapses, Lebanon will be facing the unknown,” a Lebanese diplomat said. “That is why we are keen for this committee to remain in place and to resume negotiations quickly.”However, the Mechanism’s role is likely to remain limited to military and technical matters. It’s also expected to resume its meetings after Army Commander Rodolph Haykal’s visit to the United States in February. Need the context? South Lebanon: Why the...
Israel’s conditions are draconian, and Lebanon cannot bear them, according to Lebanese officials who have been repeating this over the past few days to describe the current state of diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring calm.The assessment comes as the cease-fire monitoring “Mechanism,” in its current form, has ground to a halt. Negotiations appear frozen, pending agreement on a new framework.“If the Mechanism collapses, Lebanon will be facing the unknown,” a Lebanese diplomat said. “That is why we are keen for this committee to remain in place and to resume negotiations quickly.”However, the Mechanism’s role is likely to remain limited to military and technical matters. It’s also expected to resume its meetings after Army Commander Rodolph Haykal’s visit to the United States in February. Need the context? South...
