Lebanese President Joseph Aoun refused to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after US President Donald Trump said the two leaders were set to hold historic talks. The Lebanese President spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday and informed him of his decision of not speaking with Netanyahu.&nbsp;In his phone call with Rubio, Aoun expressed his appreciation for Washington’s efforts for a ceasefire in his country.Later, US President Donald Trump held separate calls with Aoun and Netanyahu, after which he announced the 10-day ceasefire.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-this-will-be-my-10th-trump-announces-10-day-ceasefire-between-israel-and-lebanon-1776354944757">‘This will be my 10th’: Trump announces 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon</a>&nbsp;With the Israeli military continuing its campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, Aoun had insisted that a ceasefire precede any negotiations with Israel.&nbsp;“The ceasefire requested by Lebanon with Israel is the natural starting point for direct negotiations between the two countries,” Aoun said in a statement released Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officials in Lebanon also told Israel and the US that they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire is reached between Israel and Hezbollah.&nbsp;Israeli officials said earlier on Thursday that Netanyahu and Aoun were scheduled to talk after Israel and Lebanon held their first direct discussions in more than four decades in Washington, DC.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-s-punjab-assembly-adopts-resolution-recommending-nobel-peace-prize-for-shehbaz-sharif-asim-munir-1776346754580">Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly adopts resolution recommending Nobel Peace Prize for Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir</a>&nbsp;Israel said it was not yet seeking to end its war with the Iran-backed group.&nbsp;Trump earlier wrote on Truth Social that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon were planning to speak later in the day.“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 tomorrow. Nice! President DJT.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Israel, facing ongoing Hezbollah attacks, said it will continue fighting the Iran-backed group until it is defanged and residents of northern Israel can live in peace.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/spicejet-plane-collides-with-akasa-aircraft-at-delhi-airport-both-damaged-1776341761171">SpiceJet plane collides with Akasa aircraft at Delhi airport, both damaged</a>&nbsp;“We are conducting negotiations with Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a statement earlier on Thursday. “In the negotiations with Lebanon, there are two central goals: first, the disarming of Hezbollah, and second, a sustainable peace. Peace through strength.”&nbsp;The calls between Rubio and Aoun, and Trump and Aoun took place two days after a meeting took place between Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh, at the State Department in Washington for laying the groundwork for direct negotiations, the first direct talks between the two sides in decades.

Officials in Lebanon told Israel and the US that they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire is reached between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon held their first direct discussions in more than four decades in Washington, DC.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun refused to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after US President Donald Trump said the two leaders were set to hold historic talks. The Lebanese President spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday and informed him of his decision of not speaking with Netanyahu. In his phone call with Rubio, Aoun expressed his appreciation for Washington’s efforts for a ceasefire in his country. Later, US President Donald Trump held separate calls with Aoun and Netanyahu, after which he announced the 10-day ceasefire. Also Read: ‘This will be my 10th’: Trump announces 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon With the Israeli military continuing its campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, Aoun had insisted that a ceasefire precede any negotiations with Israel. “The ceasefire requested by Lebanon with Israel is the natural starting point for direct negotiations between the two countries,” Aoun said in a statement released Thursday. Officials in Lebanon also told Israel and the US that they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire is reached between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli officials said earlier on Thursday that Netanyahu and Aoun were scheduled to talk after Israel and Lebanon held their first direct discussions in more than four decades in Washington, DC. Also Read: Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly adopts resolution recommending Nobel Peace Prize for Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir Israel said it was not yet seeking to end its war with the Iran-backed group. Trump earlier wrote on Truth Social that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon were planning to speak later in the day. “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 tomorrow. Nice! President DJT.” Israel, facing ongoing Hezbollah attacks, said it will continue fighting the Iran-backed group until it is defanged and residents of northern Israel can live in peace. Also Read: SpiceJet plane collides with Akasa aircraft at Delhi airport, both damaged “We are conducting negotiations with Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a statement earlier on Thursday. “In the negotiations with Lebanon, there are two central goals: first, the disarming of Hezbollah, and second, a sustainable peace. Peace through strength.” The calls between Rubio and Aoun, and Trump and Aoun took place two days after a meeting took place between Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh, at the State Department in Washington for laying the groundwork for direct negotiations, the first direct talks between the two sides in decades.

Officials in Lebanon told Israel and the US that they would not seek further negotiations until a ceasefire is reached between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon held their first direct discussions in more than four decades in Washington, DC.

Lebanon’s president declined to speak with Netanyahu, insisted ceasefire precede negotiations

Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem went on television Monday (Apr 13) to urge Lebanon's government to pull out of a planned diplomatic meeting with Israel in Washington scheduled for Tuesday (Apr 1), calling the talks "futile" and demanding what he described as a "historic and heroic stance" from Beirut. "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity," Qassem said in the televised address, calling on Lebanese officials to cancel the meeting outright.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/out-of-this-world-the-records-nasa-s-artemis-ii-broke-on-its-way-to-the-moon-and-back-in-pics-1775873988051">Out of this world: The records NASA's Artemis II broke on its way to the moon and back | In Pics</a><h2>Why does Hezbollah want Washington talks cancelled?</h2>In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said that they reject the negotiations and called on Lebanon to take a historic and heroic stance against the "usurping Israeli entity".This comes as the peace talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad failed after over 20 hours of talks.The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are due to sit down in Washington on Tuesday for preliminary discussions about the possibility of direct negotiations between the two countries, a prospect that has divided Lebanese politics sharply. Lebanese authorities have insisted that any formal talks must be preceded by a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been raging since March 2. Israel has pushed back on that sequencing, saying it would rather skip straight to a broader peace agreement with Lebanon, a country it has technically been at war with for decades.Qassem also took aim at the Lebanese government directly, accusing Beirut of "backstabbing" Hezbollah by declaring its military activities illegal when the war began. He dismissed suggestions that the Lebanese army could serve as a mechanism for disarming his group. "Israel and the US clearly said they want to strengthen the Lebanese army to disarm and fight Hezbollah," he said. "But the army cannot do that."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fact-check-did-macron-post-a-video-of-jeffrey-epstein-kissing-melania-trump-truth-behind-the-viral-clip-1775806317213">FACT CHECK: Did Macron post a video of Jeffrey Epstein kissing Melania Trump? Truth behind the viral clip</a>These negotiations are futile and require a Lebanese agreement and consensus". Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters had already taken to the streets on Friday and Saturday to protest the planned talks, with some directing their anger personally at Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, accusing him of being a "Zionist."<h2>Fighting continues on the ground</h2>On the ground, the fighting has not paused for the diplomacy. The Israeli army said Monday that its forces had completely encircled Bint Jbeil, a significant southern Lebanese town, while Hezbollah continued to claim attacks on Israeli troops advancing into the area. Israel has said its operations in southern Lebanon are aimed at establishing a security zone along the border. Qassem warned that northern Israeli communities "will not be safe, even if the Israelis were to enter any area of Lebanon."The human cost of the conflict in Lebanon has been severe. Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over a million since Hezbollah opened a second front linked to the broader regional war.Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.&nbsp;

Why is Naim Qassem pushing Lebanon to walk away from Israel talks? Calling negotiations “futile,” the Hezbollah chief wants Beirut to take a “historic stance” instead.

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Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem went on television Monday (Apr 13) to urge Lebanon's government to pull out of a planned diplomatic meeting with Israel in Washington scheduled for Tuesday (Apr 1), calling the talks "futile" and demanding what he described as a "historic and heroic stance" from Beirut. "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity," Qassem said in the televised address, calling on Lebanese officials to cancel the meeting outright. Also read | Out of this world: The records NASA's Artemis II broke on its way to the moon and back | In Pics Why does Hezbollah want Washington talks cancelled? In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said that they reject the negotiations and called on Lebanon to take a historic and heroic stance against the "usurping Israeli entity". This comes as the peace talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad failed after over 20 hours of talks. The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are due to sit down in Washington on Tuesday for preliminary discussions about the possibility of direct negotiations between the two countries, a prospect that has divided Lebanese politics sharply. Lebanese authorities have insisted that any formal talks must be preceded by a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been raging since March 2. Israel has pushed back on that sequencing, saying it would rather skip straight to a broader peace agreement with Lebanon, a country it has technically been at war with for decades. Qassem also took aim at the Lebanese government directly, accusing Beirut of "backstabbing" Hezbollah by declaring its military activities illegal when the war began. He dismissed suggestions that the Lebanese army could serve as a mechanism for disarming his group. "Israel and the US clearly said they want to strengthen the Lebanese army to disarm and fight Hezbollah," he said. "But the army cannot do that." Also read | FACT CHECK: Did Macron post a video of Jeffrey Epstein kissing Melania Trump? Truth behind the viral clip These negotiations are futile and require a Lebanese agreement and consensus". Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters had already taken to the streets on Friday and Saturday to protest the planned talks, with some directing their anger personally at Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, accusing him of being a "Zionist." Fighting continues on the ground On the ground, the fighting has not paused for the diplomacy. The Israeli army said Monday that its forces had completely encircled Bint Jbeil, a significant southern Lebanese town, while Hezbollah continued to claim attacks on Israeli troops advancing into the area. Israel has said its operations in southern Lebanon are aimed at establishing a security zone along the border. Qassem warned that northern Israeli communities "will not be safe, even if the Israelis were to enter any area of Lebanon." The human cost of the conflict in Lebanon has been severe. Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over a million since Hezbollah opened a second front linked to the broader regional war. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

Why is Naim Qassem pushing Lebanon to walk away from Israel talks? Calling negotiations “futile,” the Hezbollah chief wants Beirut to take a “historic stance” instead.Scroll down to read more.

'A backstab to the resistance': Hezbollah demands Lebanon cancel 'futile' Washington talks with Israel

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Lebanon’s president declined to speak with Netanyahu, insisted ceasefire precede negotiations

Hezbollah demands Lebanon cancel 'futile' Washington talks with Israel