Lebanon
Salam Heads to Syria — Berri's Conditions for Direct Negotiations Revealed
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is set to visit Syria, signaling a potential shift in Lebanon’s regional stance. Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri has laid out conditions for direct negotiations with Israel: full withdrawal, cessation of aggression, prisoner release, and the return of displaced southerners. The ceasefire south of the Litani has effectively collapsed, with maximalist positions from President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem dominating. Riyadh backs Aoun’s negotiation approach, while Ain el-Tineh shows contradictions. A three-presidents meeting postponed to Wednesday aims to empower the state, reinforce the Taif Agreement, and address negotiation deadlock. Hezbollah critics target Aoun’s handling, while Israeli remarks suggest he must take concrete steps to curb Hezbollah’s operations, not just issue statements.
The horizon between the state and Hezbollah appears blocked — everything is wavering, and negotiations are drifting without any visible prospect. The ceasefire is wavering or, more precisely, has collapsed south of the Litani.
Only the maximalist positions of President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem are dominating the headlines.
Diplomatic sources conveyed Riyadh's support for the negotiations conducted by President Aoun. Meanwhile, contradictory positions emerge from Ain el-Tineh on direct talks. However, Al-Jadeed's information indicates that Speaker Berri is conditioning direct negotiations on Israeli withdrawal, an end to aggression, the release of prisoners, and the return of displaced persons to the south.
The meeting of the three presidents has been postponed to Wednesday as a preliminary date. Sources indicated that the meeting will discuss how to empower the state, fortify the domestic front, affirm the Taif Agreement, and address the fate of negotiations.
Meanwhile, as Hezbollah's camp levels criticism at President Aoun for his handling of the negotiations, diplomatic sources say that Israeli Foreign Minister Katz's remark that Aoun is gambling with the country's future is a signal that what is required of the president is not merely issuing statements but taking practical steps to curtail Hezbollah's operations.
On another front, Al-Jadeed's information indicates that preparations are underway for an expected visit by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to Syria, where he will meet President Ahmad al-Sharaa to discuss various shared files between the two countries, in parallel with practical steps being taken by General Security in coordination with Syrian authorities on the file of Syrian displaced persons to ensure their return soon.
Political sources noted the importance of former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt's visit to Damascus and his meeting with President al-Sharaa.
Notably, al-Sharaa did not sit in the presidential chair during the meeting — a clear message about the importance of his guest.
In terms of substance, the Syrian president showed keen interest in keeping the relationship between Lebanon and Syria within an institutional framework.
