Nabatieh gave the southern day its political title. As an exceptional place and one of the most prominent historical and political centers in the Jabal Amel region, it welcomed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who arrived from Washington and New York equipped with the results of his American visit, where he held his marathon talks and meetings, trying to salvage what could be salvaged and to build a safety umbrella for a country walking among the mines of current regional and international realities. To the sound of the southerners' words as they said: "We have become a scorched earth, and we want you to stand with us and help us... and with you until the last breath," Salam launched a series of projects, even if limited compared to the scale of what the south needs—and we claim nothing else, in his words. From Nabatieh, the Prime Minister renewed his definition of priorities as stopping the attacks, Israel's withdrawal, and the return of citizens to their towns, affirming from the land of the south that waiting for a major regional settlement is not an option for us, because it may or may not come, or it may come at our expense. The south remains at the forefront, and the state is trying to prove its presence on land that Israel still occupies parts of and continues to target, while negotiations spin in a vicious circle, and each party waits for the other to make a move whose conditions do not yet seem ripe. According to Al-Jadeed's information, the verification committee took up the largest share in Salam's meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Government sources say that the aforementioned committee plays the most important role in implementing the framework agreement track. On the lines of the negotiating track, the supposed session in Tampa, Florida, remains on its unofficial schedule after the middle of the month, and the Lebanese delegation is going again with the same list of demands: stopping the attacks, Israeli withdrawal, moving to new areas for withdrawal, and arrangements to monitor the implementation of the agreement. Meanwhile, the south remains an arena open to the possibilities of escalation. With the approaching Israeli elections on the 27th of this month, Benjamin Netanyahu does not seem inclined to make free concessions, while Lebanon fears that the negotiations will turn into an electoral card, or that military escalation will become a means to impose new conditions on the table. At a time when UN officials warn of a potential security vacuum with the departure of UNIFIL without alternative arrangements, Lebanon remains caught between an
occupation that will not withdraw, negotiations that produce nothing, and the fear that the south will once again pay the price of regional conflicts. Regarding the future of the international presence in the south, the American side—according to Al-Jadeed's information—has shown understanding of the Prime Minister's demand for the necessity of forming a force operating under a United Nations umbrella, leaving the scene to settle on a state trying to restore its presence, a south holding firmly to its land, and negotiations with delayed results. Will the promised Tampa be the beginning of a breakthrough in the wall of the crisis, or a new station in the series of stagnation? Moving to the aerial series of the flydubai plane, which Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to ride to secure an extra seat in his upcoming elections, US President Donald Trump has booked himself a seat on the plane to Iran, threatening it with a very strong strike if its involvement in the attack is confirmed. While waiting for the narrative to be settled, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, Anwar Gargash, summarized the incident by saying: "Away from the easy simplification of what happened or the adoption and promotion of conspiracy theories, vigilance remains a necessity in confronting the dangers of extremism and terrorism." Vigilance is also required in the time of elections from Israel to Washington, where the region's files are suspended on the ropes of electoral votes.