Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the opening of direct negotiations with Lebanon "as soon
By Bernie,
Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed the opening of direct negotiations with Lebanon "as soon as possible," marking a historic shift. Israel's Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, will lead the Israeli side opposite Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. A senior Israeli official told BNN the talks are expected to begin within days. They will be conducted under fire and that there is no active ceasefire with Hezbollah.
The negotiations will focus on two objectives: disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon. A Lebanese official told Reuters that when Beirut approached Washington last month proposing negotiations, the Americans said 2025 had been Lebanon's window to confront Hezbollah and there was nothing more they could do.
The announcement came hours after Defense Minister Israel Katz said more than 200 Hezbollah operatives were killed in Wednesday's "Operation Eternal Darkness," which struck over 100 targets in 10 minutes. Katz said the campaign's total now exceeds 1,400 Hezbollah operatives killed, more than double the Second Lebanon War. He said Hezbollah is "pleading for a ceasefire" and that Iran is applying pressure out of concern Israel will crush the organization entirely.
Katz outlined a four-line security zone taking shape in southern Lebanon. The border line, where villages will be razed to prevent their use as staging grounds. A defensive line of forward IDF posts, expanding from five to 15. An anti-tank line, now fully deployed, to block direct fire on Israeli communities. And the Litani River, where the IDF will prevent the movement of operatives and weapons southward while striking launch sites across Lebanon from the air.
Lebanese President Aoun said the ceasefire proposal is beginning to receive positive responses but insisted Lebanon will negotiate on its own terms. "We will not accept that anyone negotiates on our behalf," Aoun said. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced the demilitarization of Beirut, ordering security forces to consolidate all weapons in the hands of the state.
Topics: Iran, Lebanon & Hezbollah, IDF
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