Beirut: The US confirmed on Thursday that it will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, while a senior Lebanese official said Beirut wants the process to follow the same mechanism used in the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, involving a temporary truce followed by negotiations.
According to Anadolu Agency, a State Department official stated, “We can confirm that the department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon.” The specifics regarding the date and venue of these anticipated negotiations remain undecided. A Lebanese source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, mentioned that Lebanon expects to receive official notification from the American side by Thursday night or Friday morning.
The Lebanese source revealed that discussions about the negotiation mechanism and other pertinent details will commence once official notification is received. They emphasized that President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government are committed to pursuing direct negotiations. The source noted that this approach mirrors the mechanism used in the US-Iran context, which involves a temporary truce to facilitate the start of negotiations. “Anything being discussed outside of this framework is merely speculation and analysis,” the source added.
Media reports indicate that Ambassador Michel Issa will lead the US delegation to Lebanon, while Israel will be represented by Ambassador Yechiel Leiter in Washington and Lebanon by Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has instructed officials to initiate direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes across the country. A statement from Netanyahu’s office emphasized that the focus of the negotiations will be on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.
According to the US news portal Axios, the initial meeting is expected to take place at the State Department in Washington. As of now, there has been no official Lebanese response to Netanyahu’s announcement.
The daily Israel Hayom, citing an Israeli official, reported that Netanyahu’s directive for talks with Lebanon is intended to alleviate mounting international pressure on Israel. The Israeli army has intensified airstrikes across Lebanon since Wednesday, resulting in at least 303 deaths and 1,150 injuries, despite a two-week ceasefire announcement between the United States and Iran. While Pakistani mediators and Tehran assert that the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv have denied this.
The expanded Israeli offensive on Lebanon since March 2 has led to the deaths of 1,888 people and injured 6,092 others, as reported by the Lebanese Health Ministry.