Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said there is no turning back from direct negotiations with Israel, but that the timing is not appropriate for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking at Baabda Palace during a meeting with lawmakers from the “Strong Republic” parliamentary bloc led by Strida Geagea, Aoun said negotiations remain Lebanon’s only viable path forward.
“There is no turning back on the path of negotiations because we have no other option,” he said, according to a statement from the presidency.
Aoun added that Lebanon’s objectives in any talks are based on securing an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories and the return of detainees, describing them as longstanding national demands.
He said that a meeting with Netanyahu is not currently under consideration, stressing that a security agreement and a halt to Israeli attacks must come first before any high-level meeting can take place.
