US to host Israel-Lebanon ceasefire talks next week

The US will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, a State Department official confirmed to Anadolu.

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

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

Earlier, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the idea of a ceasefire with Israel, followed by direct negotiations, is beginning to gain positive momentum at the international level.

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 US and Iran.

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

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.