Israel wants peace talks, but Lebanon wants truce first
Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad will prioritize a single demand as Lebanon and Israel convene for their first direct diplomatic talks in decades this Tuesday in Washington: an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.
Hezbollah and ally Amal have refused negotiations under fire and Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has called on Lebanon to cancel the talks, describing them as "futile," while Israel framed the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a potential peace deal, without publicly committing to halting hostilities or withdrawing its forces from south Lebanon. It said it will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Washington on Tuesday.
Presidential sources told An-Nahar newspaper on Tuesday that Lebanon views a truce as a prerequisite for negotiations, maintaining that only a cessation of hostilities can pave the way for peace talks.
An-Nahar said former Ambassador Simon Karam will convey Lebanon's demands to Israel, but it was not clear if Karam will take part in the talks Tuesday. The demands are a long-term ceasefire, a border demarcation and Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon, the return of Lebanese prisoners, and the "containment" of Hezbollah's weapons instead of a full disarmament by force.
An-Nahar said the group's weapons would be contained within specific areas that do not threaten Israel’s security.
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