The United States is pressing for a direct phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
By Bernie,
The United States is pressing for a direct phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday, which would mark the first contact between the two countries' leaders in 34 years. Whether the call takes place remains uncertain.
President Trump said on Truth Social that the call would happen today, describing it as an effort to get "a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon." The push follows Tuesday's historic meeting in Washington between Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, the most senior direct engagement between the two countries in decades. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is negotiating with Lebanon on two central goals: the disarmament of Hezbollah and a "sustainable peace."
The Lebanese side has so far rebuffed the effort. Aoun told Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call Thursday that he is "not willing to talk to Netanyahu," according to reporting citing sources close to the Lebanese presidency. A political source cited by Al-Mayadeen's Beirut correspondent said Lebanon rejected the American proposal for the contact. A spokesperson for the Lebanese president told CNN that the office has "no knowledge" of any such call and would issue a statement if it occurred. The Qatari Al-Arabi channel reported that Rubio is expected to call Aoun again to try to convince him to include Netanyahu in the conversation. Aoun has maintained that a ceasefire must precede direct negotiations, saying the truce requested by Lebanon is "the natural starting point" for any talks.
Israeli officials told Fox News they believe the Trump-Rubio-led talks could eventually lead to Lebanon joining the Abraham Accords.
Topics: Lebanon & Hezbollah, Israeli Politics, Diplomacy
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