The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has announced that he has given instructions to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible to reach a peace agreement that includes the disarmament of the Shiite militia party Hezbollah.
"In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I ordered the cabinet yesterday to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible," Netanyahu declared in a statement. "The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon," he added, according to Reuters news agency.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu has defended the action of the Israeli Army in Lebanese territory amidst a truce between the United States and Iran.
Israeli authorities argue their operations in the neighboring country, where they also maintain a territorial expansion in the south, due to the Lebanese Government's lack of response to the Shiite militia. In this context, Netanyahu had stressed in recent hours that the Israeli Army would continue "attacking Hezbollah with force and precision”.
Lebanon underscores that the only solution is a ceasefire
Although the Lebanese government has not responded to Netanyahu's statements, an hour before the announcement, the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has stressed that “the only solution to the situation in Lebanon is to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, followed by direct negotiations between them”, and has pointed out that work is being done through the diplomatic channel, which is already beginning to be seen “positively” by international actors, in his opinion.
Israel launched this Wednesday a new offensive on southern Lebanon with the intention of ending the activity of Hezbollah. According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have left around 1,700 dead and have displaced more than a million people within Lebanon.
For its part, sources close to Hezbollah inform Reuters that at least 400 militia fighters have died, after having launched hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel.
The Lebanese president, General Joseph Aoun has insisted that the diplomatic path is the only viable solution and that a ceasefire would be the first step towards direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, the international community continues observing with concern the evolution of the clashes, which are already seriously affecting the civilian population and regional stability.