Lebanon asks U.S. for direct peace talks with Israel to end fighting

"Last week, the Lebanese government approached Tom Barrack - the U.S. ambassador to Turkey - and asked him to mediate with Israel, according to a U.S. official, an Israeli official, and three sources with direct knowledge of the matter. In an unprecedented step, Lebanon proposed holding immediate direct talks with Israel at the ministerial level in Cyprus. Barrack's response was blunt: "Stop with the b*llshit" on disarming Hezbollah, or there's nothing to discuss."

"Hezbollah entered the fighting on the second day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, firing rockets and drones toward Israel and intensifying its attacks in the days that followed. Israel responded with massive airstrikes - including in Beirut - and ground incursions into southern Lebanon, expanding its military footprint in the country. Hezbollah has since engaged Israeli forces in guerrilla warfare on the ground."

"Sources say the Israeli government rejected the outreach outright, signaling it was too late. Its focus is now on eliminating Hezbollah. So far, the Lebanese army has refused to take meaningful action against the Iran-backed militant group. And with Washington uninterested in mediating and Israel determined to use the moment to dismantle Hezbollah, a full-scale escalation appears increasingly likely."

Hezbollah entered the Israel-Iran conflict by launching rockets and drones toward Israel, prompting massive Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions into southern Lebanon. Over 600,000 Lebanese civilians have fled the south as fighting intensifies through guerrilla warfare. The Lebanese government attempted diplomatic intervention by requesting U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack mediate talks with Israel and proposed direct ministerial-level negotiations in Cyprus. Barrack rejected these overtures, demanding concrete action on Hezbollah disarmament before any discussion. Israel rejected Lebanon's mediation attempt entirely, signaling its commitment to eliminating Hezbollah rather than negotiating. The Lebanese army has not taken meaningful action against the Iran-backed militant group, while U.S. diplomatic engagement on Lebanon has diminished.

Read at Axios