US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, met Lebanese officials on Friday, a day after Washington pushed for a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders, as Israel continues strikes in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire.
Mr Issa held talks with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, reiterating US support for Lebanon and its state institutions, according to a readout from the Lebanese presidency.
Both Mr Aoun and Mr Salam stressed the need to consolidate the fragile ceasefire. Mr Aoun called for a halt to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, ahead of further meetings in Washington aimed at securing stability along the border, the presidency said.
Lebanese and Israeli representatives met twice in Washington last month – the first such contacts in decades – after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the regional war on March 2, triggering heavy Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive in the south.
Following the first round of talks, US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire starting on April 17, later extended by three weeks after the second round of discussions.
Mr Trump said he would invite Mr Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for talks as the two countries prepare for direct negotiations.
The planned talks have caused a rift in Lebanon. Hezbollah firmly opposed to face-to-face talks with Israel, as well as previous commitments by Beirut to disarm it.
"Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation," the US embassy in Lebanon said on Thursday, adding that "the time for hesitation is over".
A direct meeting between Mr Aoun and Mr Netanyahu, "facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory – guaranteed by the United States", the statement added.
Saudi terms
Saudi Arabia, which has stepped up diplomatic engagement in Lebanon, is broadly aligned with US efforts to stabilise the country internally, a political source close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told The National. Mr Berri, a key Shiite figure and Hezbollah ally, often mediates between the group and external actors.
“The Saudi proposal is to revive the troika bringing together the three presidencies to lead the country, take major decisions and demonstrate national consensus – similar to past decades,” said the source. “Nawaf Salam was not enthusiastic, but Saudi pressure pushed him to meet Speaker Berri.”
The source said Riyadh supports negotiations with Israel but has set conditions.
"Saudi Arabia, through its envoy [Prince] Yazid bin Farhan, supports the negotiation track but sets conditions and parameters: no direct meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu at this stage, only after a ceasefire. Aoun should not sign a peace agreement with Netanyahu now," the source said.
The Saudi proposal also calls for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons – in line with the 1989 Taif Agreement – in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. “After that, Saudi Arabia would commit to launching and sponsoring reconstruction in the south,” the source added.
Saudi Arabia sponsored the Taif Agreement, which ended Lebanon’s 15-year civil war. The accord rebalanced political power by reducing the authority of the Maronite Christian presidency in favour of a stronger cabinet and a more equitable sectarian distribution of parliamentary seats between Christians and Muslims.
It also called for the disarmament of militias.
Violations
Israel and Hezbollah have traded blame for repeated truce breaches.
Israel has kept up deadly strikes on Lebanon despite the ceasefire and its soldiers are operating inside a "Yellow Line" running about 10km deep inside Lebanon along the border.
Hezbollah is also increasingly relying on drones to attack Israeli troops, particularly those engaged in the latest occupation of southern Lebanon.
This week, Mr Aoun said Israel must fully implement the ceasefire between the two countries before beginning direct negotiations.
"There is a direction at Baabda Palace to form an operations room to manage and oversee negotiations, likely including political figures and possibly military ones," said a source close to the Lebanese presidency. "France prefers broad political consensus on direct negotiations, but recognises how difficult that is to achieve in Lebanon."
Lebanese leaders remain divided over both the format and objectives of any direct negotiations with Israel.
