Netanyahu calls for "open direct negotiations" with Lebanon, focus on disarmament of Hezbollah

Tel Aviv [Israel], April 9 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called for the opening of direct negotiations with Lebanon, as tensions persist along the border despite a two-week ceasefire deal in place to halt the hostilities in West Asia.

According to a statement shared by the Prime Minister's Office on X, Netanyahu said the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon to initiate talks with Israel amid continued strikes by Israeli forces on the country.

"In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed at the Government meeting yesterday to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible," the statement stated.

He added that the proposed negotiations would focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.

The statement also noted that Israel "appreciates the call" made by Lebanon's Prime Minister to demilitarise Beirut, signalling a possible shift in diplomatic engagement between the two sides.

"The negotiations will focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishing of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates the call made today by the Prime Minister of Lebanon to demilitarize Beirut," the statement added.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said that a ceasefire with Israel remains the only viable solution to the ongoing situation in the country, noting that the ceasefire proposal and the initiation of direct negotiations with Israel have already begun and have so far received a "positive response," as reported by Al Jazeera.

"The only solution to the current situation in Lebanon is to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon," he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

The developments come as the fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran hangs in the balance, with Tehran stating that the truce also includes the halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

However, both Washington and Israel have maintained that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon, a disagreement that has further complicated diplomatic efforts and heightened the risk of the truce collapsing.

Netanyahu, earlier, affirmed that Israel will persist in its military operations against Hezbollah, following a series of intense and lethal strikes across Lebanon.

In a statement shared via his personal account on X, the Prime Minister emphasised the continued scale of the offensive, noting that the military is "continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination".

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