Lebanon enters a new round of talks with Israel in Washington on Tuesday, determined to forge ahead with direct negotiations, even as this round appears overshadowed by Iran’s decision to include the Lebanese file within its negotiations with the United States.
اضافة اعلان
Lebanese officials insisted that direct negotiations with Israel are the only way to end the war that has been raging since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel in support of Iran, triggering Israeli airstrikes and a ground offensive that have martyred more than 4,000 people in Lebanon.
However, four rounds of Lebanese-Israeli talks since April have failed to yield a permanent ceasefire.
Instead, the longest lull in fighting was achieved this week after Iran and the United States agreed on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) stipulating a halt to fighting across all fronts, including Lebanon.
A Lebanese official and two foreign officials involved in Lebanese affairs said the Iranian-US agreement pulled the rug out from under the Lebanese state, leaving it in its weakest position yet and raising questions about the feasibility of its talks with Israel this week.
The Lebanese official expressed doubts that the negotiations, scheduled to last three days, would produce any tangible progress.
"There is still a fundamental problem with trust between us and the Israelis in these talks," the official said. "We cannot meet their demands, and they refuse all of ours."
Lebanon Seeks Withdrawal Timeline
Lebanon has announced that one of its primary goals in the talks is to ensure an Israeli military withdrawal, but senior Israeli officials have stated that forces will remain in southern Lebanon indefinitely.
The Lebanese official said Beirut would demand during the talks that Israel provide a "reasonable" timeline for its withdrawal.
"This is the only opportunity available to us to create momentum in these talks, and in this conflict with Iran," the official added.
On the other hand, Israel views the purpose of the upcoming talks as "disarming Hezbollah and reaching a genuine peace agreement" with Lebanon, according to a briefing given by Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer on the eve of the new negotiations.
Mencer said the only obstacle to reaching an agreement with Lebanon is Hezbollah, "and that is why we believe it must be disarmed and dismantled."
The Lebanese government has moved cautiously since 2025 to disarm Hezbollah without directly confronting the group, fearing it could ignite a civil conflict.
Hezbollah has refused to disarm completely and has called on the government to pull out of its direct talks with Israel.
Reuters
