Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died suddenly Saturday, spent his final weeks laying the groundwork for an ambitious new push to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, he told me in multiple conversations over the past several weeks. Why it matters: Graham was one of Washington's most influential and energetic foreign policy figures. He spent decades trying to shape America's role in the world and was still pursuing some of his biggest diplomatic ambitions in the final hours of his life. Zoom in: Graham saw Saudi-Israel normalization as the defining prize of a broader postwar settlement in the Middle East — one that could outlast the military campaign against Iran and fundamentally reshape the region. - He had worked…
The French government has drafted a proposal to end the war in Lebanon that would require the Lebanese government to take the unprecedented step of recognizing Israel , three sources familiar with the details told Axios. - Israel and the U.S. are reviewing the proposal. Why it matters: The French framework could help de-escalate the war , prevent a prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, increase international pressure to disarm Hezbollah and open the door to a historic peace deal. - The Lebanese government has accepted the plan as a basis for peace talks, deeply alarmed that the renewed war — triggered by Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israel — could devastate the country. Driving the news: Israel is planning to…
Israel is planning to significantly expand its ground operation in Lebanon , aiming to seize the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure, Israeli and U.S. officials say. Why it matters: This could be the largest Israeli ground invasion of its northern neighbor since 2006, dragging Lebanon to the epicenter of the escalating war with Iran . - "We are going to do what we did in Gaza," a senior Israeli official said, referring to the flattening of buildings Israel says Hezbollah uses to store weapons and launch attacks. The big picture: An operation of this size and scale could lead to a prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. - Lebanon's government is deeply alarmed that the renewed…