Amid continued tensions in the Middle East, a U.S. State Department official said on Thursday, April 9 that Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold talks in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire and related arrangements. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stated the same day that he will push for direct negotiations with Lebanon.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), since the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah became involved in the conflict in early March, regional tensions have continued to escalate. Less than 48 hours after a U.S.–Iran ceasefire agreement took effect, Israel carried out large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon on the 8th.
Earlier on Thursday, Netanyahu instructed his cabinet to prepare for direct talks with Lebanon and clearly outlined the objectives of the negotiations. In a statement, he said the discussions would focus on disarming Hezbollah and promoting the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.
Prior to this, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had publicly stated that efforts were underway to ease tensions through diplomatic channels and that these efforts were gradually gaining international support. However, a Lebanese government official told AFP following Netanyahu’s remarks that Lebanon insists any negotiations must be conditional on a prior ceasefire.
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Regarding the planned talks, a U.S. State Department official said it can be confirmed that the State Department will host a meeting next week with Israel and Lebanon to discuss the ongoing ceasefire. However, as of now, neither Israel nor Lebanon has officially confirmed that they will attend talks in Washington.
Meanwhile, a Hezbollah lawmaker reiterated that Hezbollah rejects any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and said the group had launched rockets toward Israel on the 9th.
The Israeli military, for its part, issued new evacuation warnings for the southern suburbs of Beirut and announced it would strike Hezbollah launch sites, while also warning Israeli civilians that Hezbollah may expand its attacks “within the next few hours.”
