Israel, in the meantime, sees the aim of the upcoming talks as “disarming Hezbollah and attaining a real peace settlement” with Lebanon, in response to a briefing by Israeli authorities spokesperson David Mencer on the eve of the brand new negotiations.
Mencer mentioned the one obstacle to a cope with Lebanon was Hezbollah, “which is why we consider that they need to be disarmed and dismantled”.
The Lebanese authorities has moved fastidiously since 2025 to disarm Hezbollah with out confronting the group immediately, fearing it could spark a civil battle.
Hezbollah has rejected disarming in full and has known as on the federal government to withdraw from its direct talks with Israel.
HEZBOLLAH BETS ON IRAN AS NEGOTIATOR
Karim Safieddine, a fellow on the Washington-based Tahrir Institute for Center East Coverage, instructed Reuters there was a threat that Israel might assume an much more hardline place within the Washington talks, given its officers’ anger over the US-Iran deal.
Whereas that deal had introduced relative calm to Lebanon, there was “no structural change” within the Lebanese and Israeli positions that indicated progress might be made on the negotiating desk, Safieddine mentioned.
Aoun first proposed direct talks in March however they solely started in mid-April, after the US introduced a ceasefire to allow a diplomatic course of that Washington mentioned would finally result in a peace deal.
Israeli air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs then largely stopped, however fierce preventing continued in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops pushed deeper into Lebanese villages.
The US introduced a brand new ceasefire initiative in early June once more as a part of the Lebanese-Israeli talks, nevertheless it was contingent on Hezbollah halting hearth and was rejected by the group.
Hezbollah expects Iran to demand an Israeli withdrawal because it pursues talks with the US on a ultimate deal, and says the Lebanese authorities ought to wager on that observe as an alternative of its direct negotiations.
