Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday he has instructed his cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon "as soon as possible," marking a diplomatic shift amid Israel's intensified military campaign against Hezbollah targets.
In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I gave instruction yesterday (Wednesday) to the cabinet to engage direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister — France 24
The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between the two countries, according to Netanyahu's office. The announcement came just one day after Israel launched what officials described as its most extensive strikes on Lebanese territory since the conflict began.
Lebanon has spent the past 24 hours advocating for a temporary ceasefire to enable broader diplomatic talks, a senior Lebanese official told Reuters. The proposed arrangement would follow "a separate track but the same model" as the fragile truce recently brokered by Pakistan between the United States and Iran.
No date or location has been set for the potential talks, but Lebanese officials emphasized they would require the United States to serve as both mediator and guarantor of any agreement. The diplomatic opening comes as Israeli evacuation orders now extend beyond Beirut's southern suburbs to include areas near the capital's only airport.
France 24 frames the story as a diplomatic development emerging from military escalation, emphasizing international condemnation of attacks on UN peacekeepers. The outlet highlights France's traditional role as a mediator in Lebanese affairs and presents the negotiations as a potential path toward de-escalation while noting continued military operations.