Egypt reportedly warns Lebanon of long war

Lebanon received negative intelligence from Egypt indicating that the Israeli war is likely to be protracted, given the absence of any decisive signs of an imminent ceasefire, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported.

This comes as Israel deployed a new military division to southern Lebanon, confirming its intention to escalate the conflict gradually.

While Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who met with officials in Beirut, announced that his country was conducting intensive contacts, including conveying messages between Iran and the U.S., in parallel with its communication with the Israeli side, with the aim of reducing tensions and preventing the confrontation from expanding in the region, sources familiar with Abdelatty's meetings in Beirut described the atmosphere as "discouraging."

The sources told Asharq al-Awsat that the political and military indicators do not reflect a positive approach to the Lebanese situation, particularly from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who refuses to include the war on Lebanon in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran and is hardening his stance on "eliminating Hezbollah," suggesting that the war on Lebanon will be lengthy.