'Historic opportunity': Israel aims to break Hezbollah's hold in Lebanon talks
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Historic opportunity': Israel aims to break Hezbollah's hold in Lebanon talks")
Israeli side of the border with Lebanon shows Israeli soldiers driving along a road Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
Israel views upcoming Lebanon talks as a 'historic opportunity' to dismantle Hezbollah’s long-standing influence and restore regional security.
The opening of direct talks between Israel and Beirut on Wednesday (Apr 15) marks a seismic shift in the regional geopolitical landscape, that could end Hezbollah's grip on Lebanon. "This is indeed a genuine historic opportunity to end decades of Hezbollah's stranglehold over Lebanon," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told the media. Also mentioning there was "no ceasefire discussion".
For the Israeli administration, the primary objective is the de-escalation of the northern front through a structural diplomatic framework rather than perpetual military attrition. By engaging directly with Lebanese government representatives.
From his small shop in Beirut, facing a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, Qassem Saad said he was exhausted by repeated Israeli wars on Lebanon, and hoped negotiations could end decades of suffering.
"We know that Israel will remain an enemy to us, but we are tired," 49-year-old Saad, who suffered a minor injury in the strike, told AFP. A meeting is scheduled to be held Tuesday in Washington between th ors there to discuss the possibility of direct negotiations between the two countries, which have technically been at war for decades.
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Lebanese authorities have stressed that Beirut first wants to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel has dismissed that prospect for the time being, insisting on the Iran-backed group's disarmament and saying it prefers instead to focus on formal peace talks with Lebanon itself.
(With agency inputs)
