Beirut/Washington: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam will visit Washington DC in the coming days, during which he will discuss Israel’s offer for direct talks with Lebanon. A Lebanese government source gave this information to CNN on Friday. The move comes amid a fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, which remains intact but is facing increasing pressure. An important dispute is whether the ongoing conflict in Lebanon falls within the scope of this ceasefire.
According to CNN, Israel continues to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the ceasefire. At least 300 people were killed in the attacks earlier this week, according to Lebanese officials, further escalating tensions in the region.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that “there is no ceasefire in Lebanon” and called for a full-scale military campaign against Hezbollah. He said- “I want to inform you: there is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are attacking Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security,”
Netanyahu further said he has instructed the Cabinet to begin direct negotiations with the Lebanese government for “the disarmament of Hezbollah” and a “historic peace agreement.” “Following repeated requests from the Lebanese government, last night I directed the Cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon to achieve two main objectives: first, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and second, a historic peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” he said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched fresh attacks on Hezbollah launch sites. “The IDF has begun strikes on launch sites of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon,” the IDF said in a post on Twitter.
Earlier, Netanyahu had instructed government officials to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish peace. A statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office on
The statement also noted that Israel “appreciates the call by the Lebanese Prime Minister to demilitarize Beirut,” signaling a possible shift in diplomatic engagement between the two sides.
The developments come as a fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran remains in place, with Tehran saying it also stipulates a halt to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
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