“It’s very difficult to produce the conditions for a permanent ceasefire when there’s no real ceasefire happening,” said Ronnie Chatah, an analyst and host of the Beirut Banyan podcast.
However, he added, “the intention to negotiate between Lebanon and Israel is the right track for the Lebanese state”.
But, Lebanon’s government must “show itself capable or at least willing” of confronting “substate groups, which it has not done”, Chatah told Al Jazeera.
“So, whether it’s through diplomacy, dialogue, or confrontation, it has not taken a serious measure against Hezbollah.”
For Israel, Beirut must show the Lebanese government is a willing partner and can provide security and re-establish “sovereignty that it lost in the 1970s”.
“This is a huge task, and I doubt the Lebanese government can do this on its own,” said Chatah.