LEBANON REQUESTS DIRECT US-FACILITATED TALKS WITH ISRAEL TO HALT FIGHTING. (PHOTO).

 Lebanon requests direct US-facilitated talks with Israel to halt fighting

The Lebanese government has proposed direct negotiations with Israel, seeking U.S. mediation to end the ongoing war and pursue a peace agreement. Officials in Beirut approached U.S. envoy Tom Barrack last week, suggesting talks at the ministerial level in Cyprus and claiming that some Hezbollah members might be open to a deal. However, both Washington and Jerusalem responded with skepticism, with Israel rejecting the proposal outright and the U.S. stressing that meaningful action against Hezbollah’s weapons would be required before any discussions.

Lebanon is alarmed over the current conflict, which began when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, prompting massive Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon. More than 600,000 civilians have fled the south, and the country faces growing instability. Despite the government’s historic steps to ban Hezbollah’s military wing and expel Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, the Lebanese army has refused to act against the group, leaving the state unable to enforce its own orders. Lebanese officials say the Trump administration has shown little interest in mediation, leaving the country searching for a path to post-war negotiations that could curb Hezbollah’s influence once the fighting ends.