U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Israeli and Lebanese ‘leaders’ will hold direct talks later today. “Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon… It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen later today,” Trump said, without specifying who would participate.
Despite the announcement, a Lebanese official told AFP that Beirut has not been formally informed of any planned contact with Israel.
According to the source, no communication has been received through official channels raising immediate questions about the level of coordination behind the U.S. initiative.
On the Israeli side, Gila Gamliel, Israeli minister in charge of intelligence affairs, confirmed on Israeli army radio that Netanyahu will speak with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. “I hope this initiative will eventually lead to the prosperity and flourishing of Lebanon as a nation. It is an initiative that has been built over time,” she said.
The announcement comes just days after rare direct discussions between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Washington, the first such talks since 1993. U.S. officials have described those meetings as preliminary, aimed at building a framework for future negotiations rather than securing an immediate breakthrough.
At the heart of any potential negotiations lies the issue of Hezbollah. Israel has made clear that dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities is a central objective of any agreement, alongside securing long-term stability.
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