Lebanon and Israel Plan First Talks After Initial US-Brokered Contact
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called for historic direct negotiations with Israel after the conflict in the country escalated over the past month. Israeli attacks have claimed thousands of lives, driven more than one million people from their homes and destroyed parts of Beirut.
Diplomatic momentum increased on Friday, when Lebanon’s presidency said the two countries held their first contact via a telephone call between their ambassadors in Washington, with the participation of the US ambassador to Lebanon. The call was described as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire and launch negotiations.
Both sides agreed to hold a first meeting on Tuesday at the US State Department under US mediation. Israel’s ambassador to the United States said Israel had agreed to begin formal peace negotiations at the meeting with Lebanese and US representatives.
Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to hold talks, experts warn that Lebanon is entering them from a very weak position. The key obstacle remains Hezbollah, which refuses direct negotiations while continuing to fight the Israeli army in the south of the country.