Given the recent developments of the war on Lebanon, it is obvious that the Israelis are becoming skeptical over their government's ability to achieve the goals which initially warranted the outbreak of the war: the unconditional handing-over of the captured Israeli soldiers and the disarming of Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the majority of the Israeli people stand opposed to expanding ground operations in south Lebanon for fear of the military slipping into the depth of the country. Under the circumstances, Israel may not be able to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1559 on its own as it claimed it could at the onset of the war. Negotiations would then be inevitable; the ceiling of the country's demands would also essentially be brought to a minimum.

The entire matter is rather contingent on Washington's decision. The US has given Israel one last week to work out a miracle and succeed in hunting down Nassrallah with the new American-made 30-meter deep destructive weapons it provided the country. Without killing Nassrallah, war on Lebanon would be in vain. Negotiations to ensure compromise solutions would be the only means to end this shameful war.

Makram Mohamed Ahmad
Al Ahram
July 26, 2006