Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will begin direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” aimed at disarming Hezbollah and advancing what he described as a “historic, sustainable peace agreement,” as tensions persist over the scope of the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
The directive, issued following a cabinet decision, came after what Netanyahu described as repeated requests from the Lebanese government to open direct talks, with the negotiations set to focus on dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities and establishing peaceful relations between the neighboring states.
“The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel “appreciates” the Lebanese prime minister’s call to demilitarize Beirut.
Addressing residents of northern Israel after the announcement, Netanyahu stressed that the diplomatic track does not signal a halt in military operations, declaring that “there is no ceasefire in Lebanon” and that Israeli forces will continue striking Hezbollah “with full force” until security is restored.
He said Israel’s campaign against Iran and its proxies has “brought about a historic shift” in the country’s regional standing, adding that it has created new opportunities to expand normalization efforts and pursue what he described as “peace through strength.”
The move follows direct outreach from President Donald Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, as U.S. officials have sought to prevent the Lebanon front from undermining the broader ceasefire framework and upcoming negotiations with Iran.
Trump confirmed he raised the issue directly with Netanyahu, saying in a phone interview that Israel would take a more restrained approach in Lebanon as diplomatic efforts move forward ahead of planned talks in Islamabad this weekend.
U.S. officials have also made clear that Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah is not part of the ceasefire agreement with Iran. Trump said Wednesday that Lebanon is a “separate skirmish,” while Vice President JD Vance stressed the United States “never made that promise,” warning it would be “dumb” for Iran to abandon negotiations over a front that “has nothing to do” with the agreement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly confirmed that Lebanon was not included.
Iran and its allies have pushed the opposite claim, asserting that Lebanon is part of the ceasefire framework and warning that continued Israeli operations could render negotiations “meaningless.” Pakistani mediators have echoed that position, underscoring the dispute over the agreement’s scope.
Despite the announcement of negotiations, Israeli officials have made clear that operations will continue alongside the diplomatic track, maintaining pressure on Hezbollah targets even as talks are set to begin.
Lebanese authorities have reported hundreds killed in recent strikes, while Israeli officials have said many of those targeted were Hezbollah operatives as part of a broader campaign against the Iranian-backed group’s infrastructure.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Thursday it eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, a close aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, in a strike in Beirut, part of a wider effort targeting command centers, weapons depots, and key transit routes used to move rockets and other weapons.
At the same time, Hezbollah has continued launching rockets into northern Israel, and the IDF warned that additional areas could come under fire, underscoring the ongoing threat even as negotiations move forward.
Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization, escalated the conflict on March 2 by launching sustained rocket fire into Israel, breaking an existing ceasefire and opening a second front tied to the broader campaign that began with the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Israeli officials have argued that the Lebanese government has failed to disarm Hezbollah despite prior arrangements, leaving the group entrenched with significant military capabilities along the border.
Lebanese authorities have taken steps in recent weeks signaling an effort to reassert state control, including moves to consolidate weapons under government authority in Beirut and attempts to expel Iranian-linked personnel; however, those efforts have faced resistance, with reports indicating Iranian officials and Hezbollah-aligned factions have refused to comply.
Meanwhile, tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continue to complicate the diplomatic picture, with Iran warning commercial vessels to coordinate with its Revolutionary Guard and failing to fully restore normal shipping levels despite ceasefire conditions tied to reopening the strategic waterway.
Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin next week in Washington, with Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad anticipated to participate.
The negotiations are expected to proceed even as fighting continues, with Israeli officials framing them as an effort to secure Hezbollah’s disarmament while exploring the possibility of a broader diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries.
With U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad, the coming days are expected to test whether parallel diplomatic efforts can advance, even as tensions remain and key disputes over the ceasefire’s scope persist.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.