Egypt has rapidly taken on a key role in efforts to calm rising tension in Lebanon and ensure Israel’s withdrawal, building on its recent success in mediating a Gaza ceasefire, Lebanese and Egyptian sources have told The National.
Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad was sent to Beirut this week and conveyed to senior Lebanese officials that Cairo was ready to help stabilise the situation in southern Lebanon, which Israel continues to bombard almost every day despite a ceasefire reached with Hezbollah last year.
Israeli troops also maintain a presence at five points deemed strategic in the south, in breach of the agreement. In the past week, Israel has intensified attacks on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon.
“Why now? First of all, after two years they managed, with the Americans, the Qataris and others, to successfully reach an agreement in Gaza,” said one Lebanese political source.
While the official said Mr Rashad had not delivered a specific message, there was said to be “momentum”.
Egyptian sources with direct knowledge of the diplomatic drive in Lebanon told The National that its objectives were to halt Israeli strikes, mediate a long-term truce and prevent the country from sliding into civil war over the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons.
"The Egyptian effort is done in collaboration and the blessing of the Trump administration," said one of the sources. Part of Cairo’s focus, they added, is to prevent Lebanon’s Sunni community from facing defeat or weakening should tension over Hezbollah’s arsenal escalate into open conflict.
They said Hezbollah and its allies are highly unlikely to surrender their weapons and any attempt to disarm the group could plunge Lebanon into civil war.
A Hezbollah official told The National that the group did not meet with the Egyptian spy chief, but added: “but we are positive about any move towards the ceasefire agreement”.
Lebanon is under heavy US pressure to disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah and reassert state sovereignty. US envoy Tom Barrack said this month that Lebanon's slow progress could lead Israel to “act unilaterally” and launch yet another war on the country.
'All eyes on Lebanon'
A second Lebanese political source, who is close to the Foreign Ministry, said "all eyes are on Lebanon and what is happening in Lebanon". The source noted that the US has shared intelligence with its international allies, indicating that the Israeli military believes Hezbollah is trying to rebuild and regroup – information of which Egypt is also aware.
Any attempt by Hezbollah to rearm, or any delay in the group’s disarmament, could prompt Israel to escalate military operations in Lebanon.
“In their sense of brotherhood with Lebanon, they [the Egyptians] are trying to approach the Lebanese and share with them the seriousness of the situation,” said the source. “It’s in this spirit that they are trying to play a positive role.”
However, high-ranking US diplomatic sources told Sky News Arabia that efforts to rescue Lebanon from collapse with economic and political incentives had hit a brick wall.
They said a US initiative for Hezbollah to disarm voluntarily included potentially billions of dollars in financial support for Lebanon from Gulf states, but “key parties in Beirut preferred to maintain the status quo”.
"Our hearts in Washington are hoping for the best, and our minds are preparing for the worst,” Sky News Arabia quoted them as saying.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah was to pull back north of the Litani river and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south. Only the Lebanese army and Unifil are supposed to operate in the south.
The army has made large progress in the disarmament task south of the Litani. But Hezbollah has strongly rejected any conversation over its weapons while Israel continues to occupy and bomb sites in Lebanon. The disarmament process is expected to be far more complicated in other areas of the country.
The Lebanese government has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to bringing all weapons under state control, while acknowledging the difficulties and sensitivities involved. The group was severely weakened by its war with Israel last year.
The Hezbollah official said Egypt sought to play a broker role and ensure a proper ceasefire. “In general, Iran and Egypt have good relations in regards to Lebanon,” they said.
Egypt was part of a powerful group of countries – also comprising the US, France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – that helped push Lebanon on to the path of electing President Joseph Aoun this year after more than two years of presidential vacuum.
“They were overwhelmed with what's happening in Gaza, now they can breathe and they have a role with the 'quintet',” said the first Lebanese official.
Mr Rashad was one of several senior foreign officials visiting Beirut this week, alongside US envoy Morgan Ortagus and Arab League Secretary Gen Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
President Joseph Aoun's office said Mr Rashad had “expressed his country's readiness to help stabilise the south and end the volatile security situation there. He also reiterated Egypt's support for Lebanon”. They also discussed “ways to leverage” the ceasefire in Gaza – in which Cairo was instrumental – and the Sharm El Sheikh summit to advance stability in Lebanon.
This month, political leaders from around the world convened in the Egyptian resort on the Red Sea coast for a ceremony to sign the ceasefire deal in Gaza. US President Donald Trump declared “peace in the Middle East” at the summit. The deal paused more than two years of war in Gaza that had killed more than 68,000 Palestinians in Israeli attacks and left much of the enclave in ruins.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty this month told The National that Cairo has “full confidence in the leadership and wisdom” of President Aoun and “full faith” in Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government in Lebanon.
“We have, first of all, to end the Israeli occupation of the five locations in south Lebanon in order not to give any excuse for any party to say that we have to be there to fight and end the occupation,” said Mr Abdelatty at the time.
