Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Benjamin Netanyahu © Mena Today
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
"In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible," Netanyahu said in a statement. "The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon."
There was no immediate response from the Lebanese government to Netanyahu's remarks.
An hour before Netanyahu’s statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that “the only solution to the situation in Lebanon is to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, followed by direct negotiations between them.”
He said he was working on a diplomatic track on this matter that was starting to be seen “positively” by international actors.
Israel launched a renewed offensive against Hezbollah after the Iran-backed militia began firing at Israel on March 2. Israeli strikes have killed around 1,700 people and uprooted more than a million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
At least 400 Hezbollah fighters have been killed, according to sources familiar with the group, which has fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel.
Reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem and Maya Gebeily in Beirut
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that Lebanon is waiting for the United States to set a date for the start of formal negotiations with Israel, as the two countries navigate a delicate diplomatic process that has already yielded two rounds of preparatory talks in Washington.
Ukraine has requested that Israel seize a vessel carrying grain it says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia, its top prosecutor said on Wednesday, after the shipment sparked a diplomatic tussle between the countries.
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