Aoun, Salam discuss readiness for Israel talks

Lebanon's president and prime minister have discussed preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades.

In a statement, the office of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam conducted "an assessment of the post-ceasefire phase and the ongoing efforts to consolidate it," and discussed "Lebanese readiness for the anticipated negotiations" with Israel.

Their meeting came a day after a strongly-worded speech to the nation from Aoun stating that the country was entering a new phase to work on "permanent agreements" with Israel and insisting that direct talks were not a "concession" -- an apparent rebuttal of Hezbollah criticism.

The 10-day ceasefire seeking to end more than six weeks of war between Hezbollah and Israel has been in place since midnight on Thursday (2100 GMT) after being announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

More than 2,300 people were killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and more than a were million displaced.

Iran-backed Hezbollah and its supporters strongly oppose the negotiations, and have rejected several government decisions over the past year, including Beirut's commitment to disarming the group in 2025.

Addressing Aoun at a press conference in Beirut's southern suburbs, senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qmati said the president "does not respect" Lebanon.

"Defeated, you go to the Israelis and Americans, let's see what you will get out of it."

During his meeting with Aoun, Salam expressed hope that "the displaced will be able to return safely to their homes as soon as possible after the ceasefire holds."

He stressed that the government was working to "facilitate this return, especially by repairing the destroyed bridges, opening roads, and providing supplies in the areas where the return will be safe and possible."