April 10, 2026 | 10:45 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, as confirmed by a US State Department official to Anadolu.
“We can confirm that the Department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon,” the official said.
According to media reports, the US delegation will be led by Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, with Israel represented by its Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon by Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad.
Earlier, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that the idea of a ceasefire with Israel, followed by direct negotiations, is gaining positive momentum at the international level.
The Israeli military conducted the largest airstrike across Lebanon since Wednesday, targeting over 100 locations in 10 minutes. This brutal attack has killed at least 303 people and injured 1,150 others despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.
While Pakistani mediators and Tehran stated that the ceasefire included Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv denied this.
Israel's extensive attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 1,888 people and injured 6,092, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Israel has conducted attacks almost daily before March 2, despite a ceasefire agreement in November 2024.
Lebanon Rejects Iran's Representation in Ceasefire
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Asharq Al-Awsat that Lebanon will not accept anyone negotiating on its behalf.
In his first comments on the US-Iran ceasefire and the debate on whether Lebanon is included, Salam stated on Wednesday, “No one negotiates over Lebanon except the Lebanese state.”
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Lebanon was not involved in the contacts that resulted in the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, despite reports that Lebanon would be involved. However, actions from Iran and Hezbollah purportedly indicated otherwise.
Hezbollah ceased its military operations before the agreement was announced on Wednesday morning, while Lebanese officials attempted to contact the countries involved in this issue to clarify the situation.
Salam refused to further elaborate on the ongoing contacts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon. He only stated that the country is carrying out its duties and mobilizing all its capabilities to lift the crisis affecting it.
“With the announcement of an agreement between the US and Iran, through appreciated Pakistani efforts, we are intensifying our contacts and our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon,” said Salam.
“I also stress that no one negotiates in the name of Lebanon except the Lebanese state, through its constitutional institutions, in a way that safeguards its sovereignty and the interests of its people,” he added.
Read: Trump Urges Netanyahu to Scale Back Attacks on Lebanon
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