Netanyahu Clears Negotiations With Lebanon, Likely To Start In US Next Week

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon "as soon as possible". The move comes as a fragile two-week truce between the US, Israel, and Iran hangs by a thread following the intensification of Israel's military campaign in Lebanon.

"In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible," his office wrote in a statement.

"Negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peace relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates today's call by the Prime Minister of Lebanon to demilitarize Beirut," the statement added.

However, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel that there will be no ceasefire with Hezbollah ahead of talks with Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon are expected to initiate talks in Washington next week. The two countries have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948.

Lebanon Advocating For Ceasefire Since Last 24 Hours

Meanwhile, Lebanon has spent the last 24 hours advocating for a temporary ceasefire to allow for broader talks with Israel, a senior Lebanese official told Reuters.

The official said it would be a "separate track but the same model" as a fragile truce brokered by Pakistan between the US and Iran.

Netanyahu's statement comes after Israel launched the largest wave of strikes on Lebanon since the start of its war with Hezbollah on March 2, leaving more than 200 people dead.

While Iran has insisted that any ceasefire deal must include Lebanon, both the US and Israel maintain that Lebanon was never part of the initial agreement.

Trump Asked Netanyahu To Dial Down Lebanon Strikes

US President Donald Trump had asked Netanyahu in a phone call yesterday to scale back the Lebanon strikes to safeguard the success of Iran talks, NBC News reported.

According to the report, a senior US administration official said that the phone call happened after Netanyahu vowed to continue attacking Lebanon on Wednesday. 

Iran Was "On Verge" Of Responding To Israeli Strikes

Iran has said Lebanon was a key part of the ceasefire and argues Israeli attacks breach the truce.

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said, "Iran was on the verge of responding to the ceasefire violation last night."

Such a move was avoided because "Pakistan intervened", Khatibzadeh told ITV News, according to excerpts from Iran's Tasnim news agency.