“They must get rid of Hezbollah… Hezbollah is the problem.” With these words, US President Donald Trump made it clear that the main obstacle to the progress of the ongoing Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington lies in Hezbollah, expressing his hope for achieving progress that leads to positive results.
Trump also stressed that the United States seeks to bring the views of the two parties closer together, adding: “We will turn this into a success. I believe we will bring them together.”
In the context of the Lebanese positions, President Joseph Aoun stated that stability in the south will not be achieved as long as the Israeli presence continues, calling for the redeployment of the Lebanese army along the international border.
For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mitri stressed that the truce requires a truce that allows negotiations to take place in a suitable atmosphere.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem also announced his rejection of direct negotiations, stressing the need to achieve internal Lebanese consensus before any change in the way this issue is dealt with.
Washington is witnessing the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in decades at the headquarters of the US State Department, with the participation of Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamada Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yehiel Laiter, mediated by the US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and the symbolic presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The beginning of the negotiations coincided with a field escalation, embodied in intense Israeli raids on southern Lebanon, to which Hezbollah responded with a series of attacks on northern Israel.
