Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has refused to speak directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as both nations prepare for an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire scheduled to take effect at midnight.
- A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is slated to begin at midnight.
- President Joseph Aoun has declined direct communication with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- US President Donald Trump announced the agreement via Truth Social, citing a need for “breathing room.”
US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire via a post on Truth Social, stating he wanted to “GET IT DONE!” Trump spoke separately with both Netanyahu and Aoun on Thursday.
In a social media post, Trump noted that it had been approximately 34 years since the two leaders last spoke and indicated that direct talks were intended to occur to provide “breathing room” between the two countries.
Conflicting Reports on Leadership Talks
Reports regarding the potential for direct communication between the two leaders remain contradictory. Israeli Innovation, Science, and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel stated Thursday morning that Netanyahu and Aoun would hold direct talks later in the day.
However, Lebanese official sources have stated they have no knowledge of any imminent conversation between the Lebanese president and the Israeli prime minister.
An Israeli defense official noted that while a ceasefire announcement was possible as early as Thursday night, the situation remained at a “crossroads” with nothing yet final.
Diplomatic Hurdles and Border Tensions
Direct talks between the two leaders would be highly unusual due to the total absence of official diplomatic relations between Israel and Lebanon.
Tensions remain high along the northern border, characterized by Hezbollah rocket and drone launches into Israel and IDF counterterrorism operations in southern Lebanon aimed at disarming the group.
Further challenges persist as Lebanon is expected to demand a ceasefire as a precondition for any high-level direct talks. Conversely, Israel has shown hesitancy to commit to a ceasefire, citing the necessity of continued operations against Hezbollah.
The current situation follows a meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet to discuss the ceasefire, though the cabinet has not yet agreed on a specific implementation plan for the halt in fighting.
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