Israeli missile hits busy area of Beirut, Lebanon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this Thursday (9) that he gave instructions for Israel to begin peace negotiations with Lebanon, which would also include the disarmament of Hezbollah. The information was released by the Reuters agency. “In view of Lebanon’s repeated requests to begin direct negotiations with Israel, I yesterday instructed the cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible. The negotiations will focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a statement. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp LIVE: Follow the latest news on the war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Ronen Zvulun, Pool Photo via AP The statements come after Israel carried out on Wednesday (8) the “largest wave of bombings” against Lebanon since the start of the war in the Middle East. There were 160 missiles fired at Lebanese territory in an interval of 10 minutes. The Lebanese government stated that Israeli bombings left at least 254 dead and 890 injured. The Israeli army admitted that it hit densely populated areas in Lebanon with its missiles and claimed that it was necessary because members of Hezbollah hid among civilians. The ministry also said that it issued evacuation orders for the regions that would be targeted. ➡️ Context: the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah resumed in early March, after the terrorist group (which is supported by Tehran) launched air strikes against Israeli territory, in retaliation for Israeli bombings against Iran. The actions plunged Lebanon into a humanitarian crisis. Lebanon defends ceasefire According to Reuters, citing a senior Lebanese official who spoke anonymously, Lebanon has spent the last 24 hours defending a temporary ceasefire to allow for broader negotiations. The proposal is a “separate path, but with the same model” of the fragile 20-day truce brokered by Pakistan between the US and Iran. The official said that there is still no defined date or place, but that Lebanon needs the US as a mediator and guarantor of any agreement. According to the American website Axios, the first meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese governments will take place at the US State Department in Washington, and should be next week. Inclusion of Lebanon is the biggest impasse in the ceasefire Man observes a building targeted by an Israeli attack in Tallet El Khayat, in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 9, 2026 Raghed Waked/Reuters Israel’s massive attack on Lebanon occurred hours after the beginning of a ceasefire was announced by the US and Iran on Tuesday (7). Pakistan and Iran accuse Israel of violating the agreement. According to the countries, Lebanon was included in the ceasefire. On the contrary, Israel and the USA argue that Lebanon was not part of the agreement. In an interview with PBS, the US public television network, on Wednesday, Trump said that “they (Lebanon) are not included in the agreement” to ceasefire. “Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the agreement either,” he said. CNN International said it had heard from White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt that, in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was not opposed to Israel continuing to attack Lebanon.
Source link
Netanyahu: Israel wants to start peace talks with Lebanon ‘as soon as possible’
15
