Rescuers rush to the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting the Lebanese State Security Center, in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, on April 10, 2026. (Credit: Abbas Fakih/AFP)

Lebanon-Israel negotiations: A minefield on the only possible path

Between the intransigence of Hezbollah and that of Netanyahu, Beirut is mainly counting on American pressure.

11 Apr 2026, 13:46 by Salah HIJAZI · L'Orient Today

Lebanon and Israel will begin direct negotiations next week to bring an end to the war ongoing since early March (and even since October 2023). A historic step for the country, which refused to be a mere appendage to the ongoing talks between Iran and the United States. The Americans, not wanting Tehran to use the ongoing war against Hezbollah as a pretext to withdraw from the Islamabad negotiations, pressured the Israelis to meet the Lebanese halfway.But the path ahead is still long and fraught with obstacles for Lebanon. First, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may actually want to sabotage the negotiations, running forward in an attempt to escape American pressure. At the very least, he could present maximalist demands, arguing that he has the upper hand on the ground. Then, Hezbollah refuses direct negotiations, preferring...

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