Netanyahu Meets US Ambassador to Lebanon Amid Regional Tensions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an unusual meeting Tuesday evening at his office with the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Michelle Sison, and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Harkey. Sison and Harkey are leading the ongoing U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon. The meeting is considered unusual given that Sison is the ambassador to Lebanon, especially while Israel continues its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Earlier on Tuesday, a French diplomat revealed in a conversation with the Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath that France and Italy are advancing a joint peace plan for Lebanon. This initiative is being promoted through the United Nations Security Council, with the aim of rapid progress. According to the French official, the plan was developed in French-Italian cooperation, and both nations are actively discussing it with Security Council member states to garner support.

The French-Italian discussions are proceeding concurrently with, but not necessarily in coordination with, the American plan for a direct agreement between Lebanon and Israel, facilitated by the White House. It remains unclear whether the French-Italian plan includes provisions for disarming Hezbollah, as sources close to the process indicate its primary objective is the "immediate preservation of Lebanon's sovereignty and integrity."