Middle East: Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon expected in the United States

The United States finds itself on Tuesday, April 14 in a position of mediator, two days after the failure of negotiations in Islamabad with Iran, between Lebanese and Israeli officials. At the heart of this meeting scheduled in Washington is the war in the Middle East, in which Hezbollah (an Islamist movement in Lebanon supported by Iran) became involved on March 2. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,888 people in the Cedar country, including at least 303 people on April 8.

Beirut wants to meet with the Israeli state “to discuss the establishment of a ceasefire,” according to the Lebanese presidency, which wants “a ceasefire before any start of negotiations,” according to a Lebanese official quoted by AFP. But recent statements by the Hezbollah leader have darkened this prospect: “We refuse negotiations with the Israeli entity (…) This negotiation is submission and capitulation,” said Naim Qassem. “No one can lead Lebanon down this path without internal consensus (…) and this is not the case,” he continued.

Israel, really ready to stop the war?

While Israeli officials want to establish a “security zone” in southern Lebanon to eliminate Hezbollah, Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that he wants a peace agreement “that will stand for generations”. According to David Wood, an expert from the International Crisis Group, these negotiations are taking place “under pressure from the United States” and “to respond to international diplomatic pressure,” as reported by TV5 Monde.

In the last twenty-four hours, 150 Hezbollah targets have been targeted, according to the Israeli army. For its part, Hezbollah claimed to have launched rockets at two Israeli towns near the border. Tuesday morning, the Israeli army announced the death of a soldier in southern Lebanon. Only the Israeli ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, and the Lebanese ambassador, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, as well as the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, will be present under the mediation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. No representative from Hezbollah is expected to be present.