Lebanon’s government, led by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has signaled openness to another round of talks with Israel as it seeks to preserve a fragile ceasefire and contain fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has devastated parts of Lebanon.
Grand Mufti Abdul-Latif Derian, the country’s highest Sunni Muslim cleric and head of the Supreme Islamic Sharia Council, said Saturday the president has a “constitutional right” to pursue diplomatic avenues aimed at ending the conflict.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant and political group that remains at war with Israel, has rejected the talks. Lebanese and Israeli officials met for negotiations last week in the United States as part of ongoing ceasefire efforts, though no Hezbollah representatives were present.
What To Know
This month, for the first time in decades, Israeli and Lebanese officials met for direct talks in Washington D.C., twice.
Following the second meeting, in which the ceasefire was extended for three more weeks, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah.”
Hezbollah was severely weakened after fighting with Israel in 2024, which saw the assassination of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Despite this, Hezbollah maintains a significant presence in Lebanon and initiated strikes on March 2 against Israel, four days after the U.S. and Israel began its war against Iran which killed the supreme leader and more than 5,000 people so far, including at least 2,500 in Lebanon. Hezbollah has struck inside Israel as well as in southern Lebanon where Israeli soldiers are located, killing two civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers.
Although Hezbollah retains support among some Lebanese, Lebanon’s government has called for the group’s disarmament, a demand also backed by Christian parties including the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who said in a recent interview that “any postponement of a direct meeting between the Lebanese President and the Israeli Prime Minister will keep Lebanon stuck in the status quo.”
In addition, Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel believes direct negotiations are the way to lasting stability in the country, writing in an April 16 X post, “We congratulate His Excellency the President on the achievement of the ceasefire,” adding “Today marks the beginning of #لبنان [Lebanon] regaining control of its destiny and future.”
Some Sunni leaders, such as Grand Mufti Abdul-Latif Derian, have also encouraged talks with Israel as a way to end the fighting. Lebanon and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah called for the cessation of negotiations between Israel and U.S. on Thursday, saying at a parliament press conference, “Lebanon must halt all forms of direct communication with the enemy,” according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Trump ended his April 23 Truth Social post writing, “I look forward in the near future to hosting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun.” A third round of talks has not yet been confirmed, but are expected.
Lebanon officially recognizes 18 religious sects, and its politics are built around a delicate power-sharing system that divides authority among the country’s main communities, with the largest factions being Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as Maronite and Greek Orthodox Christians, and a sizable Druze population. Power is formally divided among those groups, with the top offices apportioned by tradition in an effort to preserve representation.
The question of Lebanon’s inclusion in Iran-U.S. negotiations with Iran is murky. Pakistan, which has been mediating the negotiations, initially said Lebanon was covered by the U.S.-Iran ceasefire earlier in April. Israel rejected that interpretation, saying the ceasefire did not apply to its campaign against Hezbollah. The following day brought one of the heaviest bombardments Lebanon has seen during the war, a day known as “Black Wednesday.”
At the European Union Summit in Cyprus, which included Aoun, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “A key lesson of the past weeks is that security is indivisible. You cannot have stability in the Middle East or the Gulf while Lebanon is in flames.”
She continued, “So we call for the respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. A temporary pause is not enough. We need a permanent path to peace. And on the way we will continue to support the Lebanese people,” she said.
Israel has maintained troops inside parts of southern Lebanon, carving out what it describes as a security buffer zone along the border as fighting with Hezbollah continues.
What Happens Next
There are currently two ceasefires in place, one in Iran and another in Lebanon amid the ongoing war. Talks with Israeli and Lebanese officials is expected in the coming days.
On Saturday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad prior to the arrival of the U.S. delegation, which Trump said is no longer en route to Pakistan for negotiations.