Shafaq News- Middle East

Israel has no “serious disagreements” with Lebanon, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated on Wednesday ahead of the next round of talks between Beirut and Tel Aviv scheduled for tomorrow in Washington.

In a statement, Saar characterized Israel’s decision to negotiate directly with Beirut as historic, adding that Lebanon remains a “failed state” under Iranian influence through Hezbollah. Noting that only a few minor border disputes persist and could be resolved, he indicated that Hezbollah continues to stand as “the main obstacle to peace and normalization.”

Thursday’s meeting will mark the second round of ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel, following an initial session on April 14 that represented the first such contact since 1993. The negotiations take place under a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on April 17 for an initial 10-day period, with the option of extension by mutual agreement. Under its terms, Beirut must prevent attacks against Israel and ensure its official security forces serve as the sole authority responsible for security, while Israel retains the right to act in “self-defense.”

Despite the ceasefire, Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research has documented around 220 Israeli violations, including airspace breaches, artillery fire, airstrikes, and ground activity.

Since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, Israeli strikes have killed 2,294 people and injured 7,544 others, including 177 children and 274 women among the dead, and 704 children and 1,223 women among the wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Read more: Ceasefire without sovereignty: Lebanon's power blocks peace with Israel