President Joseph Aoun’s decision to appoint former ambassador Simon Karam as head of the Lebanese delegation to the Mechanism Committee effectively counters Israel’s move to expand the war.

Appointing a civilian figure aligns with U.S. preferences, especially as Washington is seeking to broker an arrangement between Lebanon and Israel based on implementing a plan that places all weapons exclusively under the authority of the Lebanese state, beginning south of the Litani River.

This Lebanese decision also places Israel in an awkward position before the Americans and other international capitals.