A senior official stated that upcoming negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will focus on supporting the Lebanese government in restoring full sovereignty over its territory and political life. The official added that the diplomatic talks between the two sides will be open and direct. He further clarified that Israel is currently at war with Hezbollah, not with Lebanon.
On the other hand, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem called, during a speech on Monday evening, for the Lebanese state to cancel negotiations with Israel. He argued that the state must confront the aggressor by deploying its army and security forces, stating that “negotiating with Israel is submission and surrender.”
Qassem emphasized that the only path to achieving sovereignty is the implementation of the November 2024 agreement. He outlined this as requiring a complete halt to aggression, an immediate withdrawal from all territories, the release of prisoners, and the return of residents to their villages and cities up to the border strip and the Lebanese border.
These comments were made prior to the scheduled talks in Washington between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors. The meeting represents the first direct encounter between representatives of the two countries in decades, as the nations do not maintain diplomatic relations.
Sources confirmed that a meeting will take place on Tuesday between the Israeli ambassador and the Lebanese ambassador to the United States at the US State Department. Reports indicate that the first round of these talks will likely be preliminary, suggesting that a final settlement to end the war in Lebanon is not imminent.
