Lebanon will resume direct discussions with Israel on Tuesday in Washington, despite Iran’s intention to include Lebanon in its negotiations with the US. Lebanese officials believe that direct negotiations with Israel are the only way to end the war that began on March 2 when Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Iran, resulting in Israeli air and ground attacks that killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon. However, four rounds of talks between Lebanon and Israel since April have failed to create a long-term ceasefire.
This week, Iran and the US reached an agreement to suspend fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, resulting in the longest pause in conflict. The accord bolstered Iran-backed Hizbollah and weakened the Lebanese state. President Joseph Aoun has previously cautioned that Tehran cannot negotiate on Lebanon’s behalf. A Lebanese official and two foreign officials working on Lebanon told Reuters that the Iran-US deal had ripped the rug out from under the Lebanese state, putting it in its weakest position ever and calling into doubt the efficacy of its discussions with Israel this week.
Following a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah on Monday, a guy flashes the victory sign through the smashed window of a destroyed flat in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon. The Lebanese official is pessimistic that the three-day meetings would result in significant progress.There is still a basic issue of trust between us and the Israelis in these conversations. “We cannot meet their demands, and they reject all of ours,” the official stated.
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