Lebanon is demanding a temporary ceasefire before the start of direct negotiations with Israelseveral Lebanese officials told AFP and Reuters. Israel however, according to a source from The Times of Israel (TOI) rejects this proposalwrites TASR.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that ordered the opening of peace talks with Lebanon with the aim of disarming the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement and establishing peaceful relations between the two countries. The first meeting could take place as early as next week in Washington, sources told Axios and the AP agency. However, the date and place of the meeting have not yet been officially confirmed.
Beirut wants the United States to act as a broker and guarantor of any deala Lebanese government official told Reuters. If the meeting in Washington takes place, the US delegation is likely to be led by US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, the Lebanese delegation by Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh-Moawad and the Israeli delegation by US Ambassador Jechiel Leiter, TOI and AP reported.
Israel, US say Lebanon not included in two-week ceasefire deal with Iranwhich was reached on Wednesday night. Tehran and Pakistani mediators insist otherwise. The war in the Middle East broke out on February 28 after Israel and the US attacked Iran. The conflict spread to Lebanon on March 2 when the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement fired rockets at Israel. More than 1,700 people have been killed and thousands more injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
