On Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he agreed to initiate a dialogue with Lebanon with the aim of achieving a peace agreement, setting two main conditions for this to happen.
In a recorded message, Netanyahu explained that Lebanon contacted Israel several times over the past month to begin direct peace talks, and that he agreed to that, but he stipulated “dismantling Hezbollah’s weapons” and reaching “a real peace agreement that will last for generations.”
He pointed out that the goal of these negotiations is to reach a permanent solution, although their results are still unclear so far.
In a related context, the Lebanese presidency announced on Friday an expected meeting with the Israeli side in Washington during the next week, to discuss a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, and to discuss the possibility of opening a negotiating path.
This announcement comes in light of the escalation of clashes since the second of last March, after the outbreak of the Iranian war, as the Lebanese front returned to the spotlight after launching missiles from Lebanese territory towards Israel, as a response to the assassination of the Iranian guide, Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed at least 2,000 people, including 248 women, 165 children and 85 medical and relief workers, according to the Ministry of Health.
It is noteworthy that, on Wednesday, Israel carried out one of the largest simultaneous raid campaigns on various regions in Lebanon, especially Beirut, which led to the killing of more than 350 people, according to statements by local authorities.
