Netanyahu says direct negotiations with Lebanon will begin soon, even as Israel makes clear the Iran ceasefire does not shield Hezbollah from further strikes. Israel is preparing to open direct talks with Lebanon, with one objective placed squarely at the center: disarming Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Jerusalem intends to begin direct negotiations with Lebanese counterparts as soon as possible, framing the move as a response to repeated requests from Beirut and as part of a broader effort to change the security reality on Israel’s northern front.
“In light of Lebanon’s repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed at the Cabinet meeting yesterday to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,” Netanyahu said in a statement. He added: “The Negotiations will focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates the call made today by the Prime Minister of Lebanon to demilitarize Beirut.” The announcement lands at a moment of sharpened Israeli pressure on Hezbollah. Israeli and American officials have both made clear in recent days that the ceasefire with Iran does not apply to Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. In other words, whatever pause now exists on one front does not extend automatically to Tehran’s Lebanese proxy.
Hezbollah entered the current war on March 2, launching rockets and suicide drones at Israel after the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening phase of Operation Roaring Lion, known on the American side as Epic Fury. Israel responded by escalating its campaign against the group, citing Hezbollah’s violation of the US-brokered ceasefire reached on November 27, 2024. Since then, Jerusalem has expanded its aerial campaign and pushed forces deeper into parts of Southern Lebanon to stop cross-border attacks.
On Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force carried out what it described as its largest coordinated strike waveagainst Hezbollah targets since the start of the current campaign. The operation hit command centers, headquarters, and military infrastructure in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and Southern Lebanon. Netanyahu, pointing to the scale of the operation, said Hezbollah had absorbed “the greatest blow since the pagers,” referring to the September 17–18, 2024 attacks in Lebanon that wounded thousands of Hezbollah operatives. “We attacked 100 targets in 10 minutes, in places Hezbollah was certain were immune,” he stated. (Ed note: Does the Lebanese government have either the ability or will to really "disarm Hezbollah"? (Read More)
