Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he has instructed his government to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon immediately, but an Israeli official quickly clarified that no ceasefire will be observed during those talks.
The statement came after separate calls this week between Netanyahu and President Trump, as well as Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Senior U.S. officials had pressed Netanyahu to scale back military strikes in Lebanon and pursue diplomatic channels instead.
"In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed yesterday to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible," Netanyahu said. He framed the talks as focused on "disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon."
But within hours, an Israeli official told Axios: "No ceasefire in Lebanon. The negotiations with the Lebanese government will begin in the coming days."
The first meeting is scheduled for next week at the State Department in Washington. Ambassador Michel Issa will represent the U.S., while Israel sends Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanon sends Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad.
The contradiction between Netanyahu's diplomatic overtures and Israel's refusal to halt military operations underscores the fractured negotiations. Israel massively escalated its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon within 24 hours after the ceasefire deal was struck. According to Lebanon's Civil Defense, Israeli strikes on Wednesday alone killed at least 254 people.
Iran has characterized Lebanon as part of the broader ceasefire agreement and accused both the U.S. and Israel of violating it. Tehran warned it might abandon ongoing peace talks or maintain closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response.
The U.S. and Israel dispute Iran's claim, arguing that Lebanon was never explicitly included in the ceasefire terms. That disagreement now sits at the center of escalating tensions as talks begin.
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