The article says the Trump administration has been tightening ties with Pakistan and Qatar, both of which do not recognize Israel, and that this was reflected in an official statement on the war in Lebanon that avoided naming Israel at all. The omission came even though much of the document dealt with Israel and the Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, and the negotiators reportedly struggled to refer to Israel without actually saying its name.
According to the report, the statement referred instead to the Lebanese Republic, the mediators, and technical talks, saying the sides agreed to establish a mechanism for resolving disputes and to ensure compliance with the end of military operations in Lebanon under the memorandum of understanding. It also said technical discussions would continue for the rest of the week at Bürgenstock on all issues.
The article links this to remarks made by Vice President JD Vance a day earlier, when he smiled on camera and said, “We love Pakistan.” It describes Pakistan, which sheltered Osama bin Laden two decades ago, and Qatar as the Trump administration’s closest new partners, and notes that both are serving as mediators in the agreement involving the United States, Israel, Iran, and Lebanon.
The report says Vance was criticized heavily after an Arab reporter repeatedly used the phrase “genocide” in reference to Israel, and he did not challenge her framing. Instead, he answered that the United States was working hard to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, which the article says amounted to de facto acceptance of the accusation.
