Lebanon and Israel are expected to enter direct talks soon to end the intensifying war with the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.
French President Emmanuel Macron offered to facilitate the talks between the two sides to prevent Lebanon from sliding into chaos, as media reports suggest Israel is preparing for a large-scale ground operation to seize Lebanese territories.
Lebanon-Israel Direct Talks
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Lebanese and Israeli representatives will hold a round of talks in the coming days. According to two sources with knowledge on the matter, the talks will focus on ending the fighting in Lebanon and disarming Hezbollah.
While Lebanon is forming a delegation to take part in the talks, a Lebanese official told the newspaper that Beirut wanted a confirmation on whether Tel Aviv would respond to President Joseph Aoun’s demand for a full ceasefire to start negotiations.
Lebanon has become a front in the Middle East conflict after the Iranian-backed Hezbollah decided to retaliate for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Negotiating Teams
The US will take part in the negotiations, as President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner will be involved in the talks. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s confidant Ron Dermer will spearhead the Israeli delegation.
The Lebanese side is forming a delegation of Christian, Sunni Muslim and Druze members, a senior Lebanese official said. However, Hezbollah’s Shi’ite Muslim ally, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, had rejected any Shi’ite participation due to skepticism in the outcomes of the talks.
AFP also reported on the talks, suggesting they could take place in Cyprus or Paris.
“Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but… neither the timing nor the location has been determined, with Paris and Cyprus being considered. We also need an Israeli commitment to a truce,” a Lebanese official told AFP.
French Mediation
France has offered mediation in the talks between Lebanon and Israel. After speaking with Lebanon’s President Aoun, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and the House Speaker Berri, French President Macron said on Saturday that Paris could host talks between the two sides.
“The Lebanese executive authority has expressed its readiness to enter into direct talks with Israel. All components of the country should be represented in them,” Macron posted on X.
“Israel must seize this opportunity to initiate talks, reach a ceasefire, find a permanent solution, and enable Lebanese authorities to fulfill their obligations in a way that strengthens Lebanon’s sovereignty,” he added.
Macron also urged Hezbollah and Israel to refrain from further escalation. “Hezbollah must immediately halt its escalatory approach. Israel must abandon any large-scale attack and cease its intensive airstrikes, at a time when hundreds of thousands of residents have already fled the shelling,” he said.
On Saturday, Axios reported that the French government had proposed a plan to end the war, involving a Lebanese recognition of Israel. However, the French Foreign Ministry dismissed this claim, saying that there is “no French plan” to end the conflict in Lebanon.
“France has supported the Lebanese authorities’ openness to direct talks with Israel and has offered to facilitate them. But it is for the parties, and only the parties, to set the agenda for these talks,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement sent to AFP.
Hezbollah’s Position
Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem has signaled the group’s readiness for a long confrontation with Israel. In a televised address on Friday, Qassem portrayed the conflict as an “existential” battle.
“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and God willing, they (Israelis) will be surprised on the battlefield,” he said.
Furthermore, Qassem urged the Lebanese government to “stop making free concessions,” stressing that any solution would require Israel to halt attacks, withdraw from Lebanese territories, and release prisoners.
Hezbollah and Israel reached a ceasefire in 2024 to end hostilities, despite frequent Israeli violations to the agreement. However, the truce collapsed on March 2 when the Lebanese group opened fire at Israel, triggering heavy Israeli airstrikes and a ground incursion into border areas.
Moreover, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to hundreds of thousands of people in southern Lebanon, amid reports of an imminent Israeli ground operation.
According to Axios, citing Israeli and US officials, the operation aims to seize the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
So far, the Israeli offensive on Lebanon has killed 826 Lebanese civilians, including 106 children, and wounded over 2,000 people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The fighting has also displaced more than 800,000 from their homes.
