Lebanon seeks US-Iran-style ceasefire before direct talks with Israel: Official

The US confirmed on Thursday that it will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, while a senior Lebanese official said Beirut wants the process to follow the same mechanism used in the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, involving a temporary truce followed by negotiations.

“We can confirm that the department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon,” a State Department official told Anadolu.

“The date and venue of the anticipated negotiations have not yet been determined,” the Lebanese source said on condition of anonymity.

“Lebanon expects to be officially notified by the American side during the night or Friday morning on the issue,” he added.

The source said discussions regarding the negotiation mechanism and other details will take place after receiving an official notification.

“The position of President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government is to pursue the option of direct negotiations,” the source added.

The source said the approach is similar to a mechanism used by the US and Iran involving a ceasefire or temporary truce for several days, during which negotiations would start.

“Anything being discussed outside of this framework is merely speculation and analysis,” he added.

According to media reports, Ambassador Michel Issa will lead the US delegation to Lebanon, while Israel will be represented by Ambassador Yechiel Leiter in Washington and Lebanon by Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Thursday that he instructed officials to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes across the country.

A statement by Netanyahu’s office said the negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing “peaceful relations” between Israel and Lebanon.

According to the US news portal Axios, the first meeting will reportedly take place at the State Department in Washington.

There was no official Lebanese comment yet on Netanyahu’s announcement.

The daily Israel Hayom, citing an Israeli official, said Netanyahu’s directive to launch talks with Lebanon aims to ease mounting international pressure on Israel.

The Israeli army escalated airstrikes across Lebanon since Wednesday, killing at least 303 people and injuring 1,150 others despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

While Pakistani mediators and Tehran said the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv denied that.

The expanded Israeli offensive on Lebanon since March 2 has killed 1,888 people and wounded 6,092 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

*Writing By Tarek Chouiref