Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu Accepts Lebanon’s Repeated Requests, Calls for Direct Peace Talks

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced that he has directed his cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” with a focus on disarming Hezbollah and moving towards peace between the two nations. The announcement comes just a day after intense Israeli strikes across Lebanon left over 200 people dead. 

Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US, is anticipated to represent Israel in the planned negotiations, according to Israeli media reports.

Talks to centre on Hezbollah disarmament

In a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu outlined the agenda for the proposed dialogue, emphasising security concerns.

“In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,” his office said.

“Negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peace relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates today's call by the Prime Minister of Lebanon to demilitarize Beirut,” the statement added.

Lebanon moves to tighten control over weapons

According to a top Lebanese official who spoke to the media, Lebanon has been pushing for a temporary ceasefire for the past 24 hours in order to facilitate more extensive negotiations with Israel. According to the official, it would be a "separate track but the same model" as the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States mediated by Pakistan.

The government of Lebanon announced similar move on the same day to establish state control over weapons on its soil. According to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the cabinet has instructed security services to make sure that only the state owns guns in Beirut.

“The army and security forces are requested to immediately begin reinforcing the full imposition of state authority over Beirut Governorate and to monopolise weapons in the hands of legitimate authorities alone,” Salam said after a cabinet meeting.

This order comes after the Lebanese government decided in March to forbid Hezbollah's military operations following an increase in hostilities with Israel. The Iran-backed outfit has carried on with its operations in spite of such action. In 2025, Lebanon also promised to disarm Hezbollah, the only armed organization still in possession of weapons following the conclusion of the Lebanese Civil War. 

Over 200 killed in latest Israeli strikes

The diplomatic push comes in the shadow of one of the deadliest days in recent weeks. According to Lebanon's health ministry, Israeli strikes in central Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon on Wednesday resulted in at least 203 fatalities and over 1,000 injuries.

In over five weeks of resumed warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, the attacks resulted in the largest single-day death toll. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam indicated that Lebanese authorities intend to report to the UN over the escalation.

Hezbollah sites were attacked, according to the Israeli military. However, a number of the hits occurred during peak hours in heavily populated residential and business areas, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties.

Iran Says It Was Close to Responding to Israeli Strikes

Iran has claimed that the recent Israeli strikes violated an existing ceasefire agreement that includes Lebanon, indicating that it almost retaliated. Iranian officials claimed that Lebanon is an essential component of the framework of the truce and that the strikes violated that agreement.

According to Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran's deputy foreign minister, “Iran was on the verge of responding to the ceasefire violation last night.”

However, he added that the situation did not escalate further as "Pakistan intervened", a development he stated to media.  

Trump Urges Israel to Scale Down Military Actions

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump urged Israel yesterday to reduce its military actions in Lebanon. According to media reports, Trump sent the message to Netanyahu over the phone on Wednesday, with Washington concerned about the potential impact on ongoing discussions with Iran.

Following the conversation, officials stated that Israel agreed "to be a helpful partner," although both the US and Israel maintain that Lebanon is not included by the present ceasefire arrangement.

The request for caution came just after Netanyahu officially stated his intention to continue the strikes in full force.