{"id":46281,"date":"2026-04-10T02:44:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=46281"},"modified":"2026-04-10T02:44:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:44:21","slug":"netanyahu-announces-direct-lebanon-peace-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=46281","title":{"rendered":"Netanyahu Announces Direct Lebanon Peace Talks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will begin direct negotiations with Lebanon \u201cas soon as possible,\u201d aimed at disarming Hezbollah and advancing what he described as a \u201chistoric, sustainable peace agreement,\u201d as tensions persist over the scope of the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"1056\" data-end=\"1367\">The directive, issued following a cabinet decision, came after what Netanyahu described as repeated requests from the Lebanese government to open direct talks, with the negotiations set to focus on dismantling Hezbollah\u2019s military capabilities and establishing peaceful relations between the neighboring states.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"1369\" data-end=\"1593\">\u201cThe negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon,\u201d Netanyahu said, adding that Israel \u201cappreciates\u201d the Lebanese prime minister\u2019s call to demilitarize Beirut.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1595\" data-end=\"1903\">Addressing residents of northern Israel after the announcement, Netanyahu stressed that the diplomatic track does not signal a halt in military operations, declaring that \u201cthere is no ceasefire in Lebanon\u201d and that Israeli forces will continue striking Hezbollah \u201cwith full force\u201d until security is restored.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042310198157512893\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IsraeliPM\/status\/2042310198157512893\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1905\" data-end=\"2167\">He said Israel\u2019s campaign against Iran and its proxies has \u201cbrought about a historic shift\u201d in the country\u2019s regional standing, adding that it has created new opportunities to expand normalization efforts and pursue what he described as \u201cpeace through strength.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"2169\" data-end=\"2411\">The move follows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/trump-confirms-he-asked-netanyahu-for-a-more-low-key-campaign-against-hezbollah\/\">direct<\/a> outreach from President Donald Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, as U.S. officials have sought to prevent the Lebanon front from undermining the broader ceasefire framework and upcoming negotiations with Iran.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"2413\" data-end=\"2647\">Trump confirmed he raised the issue directly with Netanyahu, saying in a phone interview that Israel would take a more restrained approach in Lebanon as diplomatic efforts move forward ahead of planned talks in Islamabad this weekend.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2649\" data-end=\"3133\">U.S. officials have also made clear that Israel\u2019s campaign against Hezbollah is not part of the ceasefire agreement with Iran. Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2026\/04\/08\/vance-it-would-be-dumb-iran-end-negotiations-over-lebanon-which-was-never-part-ceasefire\/\">said<\/a> Wednesday that Lebanon is a \u201cseparate skirmish,\u201d while Vice President JD Vance stressed the United States \u201cnever made that promise,\u201d warning it would be \u201cdumb\u201d for Iran to abandon negotiations over a front that \u201chas nothing to do\u201d with the agreement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly confirmed that Lebanon was not included.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2041965489312719330\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2041965489312719330\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3135\" data-end=\"3431\">Iran and its allies have pushed the opposite claim, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/iran-says-massive-israeli-strikes-in-lebanon-render-peace-talks-meaningless\/\">asserting<\/a> that Lebanon is part of the ceasefire framework and warning that continued Israeli operations could render negotiations \u201cmeaningless.\u201d Pakistani mediators have echoed that position, underscoring the dispute over the agreement\u2019s scope.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3433\" data-end=\"3644\">Despite the announcement of negotiations, Israeli officials have made clear that operations will continue alongside the diplomatic track, maintaining pressure on Hezbollah targets even as talks are set to begin.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3646\" data-end=\"3879\">Lebanese authorities have reported hundreds killed in recent strikes, while Israeli officials have said many of those targeted were Hezbollah operatives as part of a broader campaign against the Iranian-backed group\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"3881\" data-end=\"4155\">The Israel Defense Forces <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FDIonline\/status\/2042149479340495149?s=20\">confirmed<\/a> Thursday it eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, a close aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, in a strike in Beirut, part of a wider effort targeting command centers, weapons depots, and key transit routes used to move rockets and other weapons.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a9d adSo\"\/>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2042183019553804369\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IDF\/status\/2042183019553804369\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4157\" data-end=\"4369\">At the same time, Hezbollah has continued launching rockets into northern Israel, and the IDF <a href=\"https:\/\/www.israelnationalnews.com\/news\/425261\">warned<\/a> that additional areas could come under fire, underscoring the ongoing threat even as negotiations move forward.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4371\" data-end=\"4657\">Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization, escalated the conflict on March 2 by launching sustained rocket fire into Israel, breaking an existing ceasefire and opening a second front tied to the broader campaign that began with the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4659\" data-end=\"4862\">Israeli officials have argued that the Lebanese government has failed to disarm Hezbollah despite prior arrangements, leaving the group entrenched with significant military capabilities along the border.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4864\" data-end=\"5231\">Lebanese authorities have taken steps in recent weeks signaling an effort to reassert state control, including moves to consolidate weapons under government authority in Beirut and attempts to expel Iranian-linked personnel; however, those efforts have faced resistance, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/middle-east\/article-891552\">reports<\/a> indicating Iranian officials and Hezbollah-aligned factions have refused to comply.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5233\" data-end=\"5535\">Meanwhile, tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continue to complicate the diplomatic picture, with Iran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/world\/live-updates-iran-ceasefire-strait-of-hormuz-mines\/\">warning<\/a> commercial vessels to coordinate with its Revolutionary Guard and failing to fully restore normal shipping levels despite ceasefire conditions tied to reopening the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"5537\" data-end=\"5775\">Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon are <a href=\"https:\/\/jewishinsider.com\/2026\/04\/israel-announces-willingness-to-enter-peace-talks-with-lebanon\/\">expected<\/a> to begin next week in Washington, with Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad anticipated to participate.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a9d adSo\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"5777\" data-end=\"6024\">The negotiations are expected to proceed even as fighting continues, with Israeli officials framing them as an effort to secure Hezbollah\u2019s disarmament while exploring the possibility of a broader diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6026\" data-end=\"6246\">With U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad, the coming days are expected to test whether parallel diplomatic efforts can advance, even as tensions remain and key disputes over the ceasefire\u2019s scope persist.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><em>Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter\u00a0<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoshuaKlein_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">@JoshuaKlein<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer\/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2026\/04\/09\/netanyahu-israel-to-begin-direct-talks-with-lebanon-to-disarm-hezbollah-eyes-historic-peace-deal\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will begin direct negotiations with Lebanon \u201cas soon as possible,\u201d aimed at disarming Hezbollah and advancing what he&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-russia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}