Lebanon to seek extension of ceasefire by 1 month, officials say
Israeli officials have repeatedly stressed that Israel has no major disputes with Lebanon, citing Hezbollah as the primary obstacle to peace
Lebanese negotiators want to prolong a fragile ceasefire with Israel by at least another month as part of efforts to end the conflict with Hezbollah, CNN reported on Wednesday citing an unnamed political source "with knowledge of the matter."
A similar statement was relayed by AFP. “Lebanon will request an extension of the truce for one month, an end of Israel’s bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present, and a commitment to the ceasefire," an unnamed Lebanese official told the French news agency.
The reports come after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day ceasefire without specifying the scope of the extension. The U.S.-brokered truce is set to expire on Sunday.
A Lebanese official was cited by Reuters as saying Beirut wants a ceasefire extension as a prerequisite for talks to expand beyond the ambassadorial level to the next phase, in which Lebanon would push for an Israeli withdrawal, the return of Lebanese detained in Israel and a delineation of the land border.
The ceasefire halted Israel's latest military campaign against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy sworn to the destruction of the Jewish state. Israeli officials have repeatedly stressed that Israel has no major disputes with Lebanon, citing Hezbollah as the primary obstacle to peace.
Talks between Jerusalem and Beirut kicked off last week with a meeting between envoys in Washington at the U.S. State Department.
“We made a historic decision to hold direct negotiations with Lebanon after more than 40 years," Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, Lebanon is a failed state, effectively controlled by Iran through Hezbollah. This leads to the conclusion that Hezbollah is a shared enemy of Israel and Lebanon.”