A Lebanese source told Al Jazeera Arabic that Israel’s October elections have prompted an attempt to delay the ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

The source adds that Israel’s talk about the failure of pilot zones for its military units to leave southern Lebanon was also a “delaying tactic to buy time”.

“We tried to spare the Ali al-Taher heights from the battle, but our efforts were unsuccessful. Israeli military indicators do not point to a military development that goes beyond Ali al-Tahir,” the source claims.

“There is no negligence on the part of the Lebanese army, but we do not want internal bloodshed. Israel does not want an international force in the south and seeks direct contact with the Lebanese army.”

On Hezbollah, the source claims the government had sent messages to the group for consultations as they can be helpful in state-led negotiations, but there has been no response.

“There is an international consensus that Hezbollah cannot be disarmed by force or quickly,” the source adds.