The United States ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, reiterated this Wednesday that Israel's offensive in Lebanese territory will only conclude when the Shiite militia party Hezbollah proceeds with its disarmament, thus subordinating any ceasefire to that prior step.
"There is no agreement to end the Israeli aggression because Hezbollah has not surrendered its weapons," he pointed out in statements collected by the Lebanese newspaper 'L'Orient- Le Jour'. "The party does not want to do anything, so why ask Israel to do everything?" he noted, questioning the demands directed exclusively at Israel.
In this line, Issa criticized the "unilateral" concessions that, in his view, are demanded from Israel, emphasizing that Hezbollah is not required to "lay down its arms." Despite the fact that the talks seem stalled, the diplomat specified that they continue to be underway at a technical level in Rome.
The U.S. ambassador also stressed that Washington has no intention of engaging in direct negotiations with Hezbollah, and clarified that he would only consider that option if the militia "had something to present" to U.S. authorities.
Aoun bets on talks despite obstacles
Regarding the course of the negotiations, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has once again supported dialogue as the main avenue, emphasizing that his goal is "to avoid the calamities and tragedies caused by war."
"It is true that it is not easy or quick, and there are obstacles and difficulties, but it remains much better than war," he stated about the process of contacts with Israel. He reiterated that Beirut's priority continues to be "the liberation of the south and the deployment of the Army to the border, the recovery of prisoners, the return of the displaced, and reconstruction."
In this regard, he maintained that reality shows that these goals "cannot be achieved through war." "There is no option, consequently, other than negotiation," he concluded, insisting on the need to keep diplomatic channels open.