Lebanese Parliament Speaker Rules Out Negotiations with Terrorist ‘israel’
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has announced that efforts to negotiate between Lebanon and Israel have fallen through. This development comes after Israel dismissed a US initiative intended to pave the way for discussions on Israel's withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, along with initiating talks on border demarcation and security arrangements.
During a Monday interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Berri revealed that US envoy Thomas Barrack reported Israel’s rejection of a proposal that encompassed a two-month halt on Israeli hostilities, a retreat from occupied Lebanese lands, and future discussions on border demarcation and security agreements.
Following Israel’s rejection, Berri stated that “all avenues for negotiations with Israel have been dismissed, leaving only the procedure supervised by the committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.”
He emphasized the ongoing commitment to the ceasefire agreement established in November 2024, underscoring that the overseeing mechanism committee serves as the sole existing framework, with no alternatives currently available.
Berri emphasized Lebanon’s adherence to the ceasefire agreement initiated in November 2024, aimed at concluding the extended conflict with Israel.
He commented that the committee responsible for supervising the agreement now convenes every two weeks, indicating a more organized framework compared to prior arrangements.
Amid ongoing deadlock in discussions, Berri conveyed a nuanced perspective, highlighting both pessimistic and optimistic elements concerning the future ties with Israel.
He emphasized the imperative of maintaining the ceasefire, particularly in light of the recent tensions that intensified into significant hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border in October 2023.
In a related development, U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack has warned Beirut of possible unilateral Israeli military action if the Lebanese government fails to disarm the Hezbollah resistance group.
He observed that such hesitancy could lead to substantial regional repercussions, potentially sparking renewed conflict.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Barrack cautioned that if Beirut remains indecisive about disarming Hezbollah, Israel might take independent action, which could lead to severe repercussions.
The United States administration has issued a caution to Beirut, indicating the likelihood of an Israeli military operation resuming if the Lebanese government does not take swift action to disarm Hezbollah.
US officials, as reported by the New York Times, have indicated that delaying or obstructing the disarmament process could lead to Israel deeming it essential to complete the task with additional military actions.
In August, facing significant pressure from the United States and Israel, the Lebanese government instructed the military to develop a strategy aimed at disarming Hezbollah by year’s end.
Hezbollah and its political counterpart, Amal, previously declared their intention to disregard the decision entirely, accusing the government of complying with directives from the United States.
