AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - Netanyahu announces negotiations with Lebanon after U.S. pressure
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has instructed his cabinet to launch direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible. - However, an Israeli official told Axios that Israel would not observe a ceasefire in Lebanon. Why it matters: Netanyahu's statement follows calls on Wednesday with President Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Senior U.S. officials said Witkoff asked Netanyahu to "calm down" the strikes in Lebanon and open negotiations. - Iran claims Lebanon was part of the ceasefire deal, that the U.S. and Israel are now in violation, and that it might abandon peace talks or keep the Strait of Hormuz closed as a result. - The U.S. and Israel deny that the ceasefire included Israel's…
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has instructed his cabinet to launch direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible. - However, an Israeli official told Axios that Israel would not observe a ceasefire in Lebanon. Why it matters: Netanyahu's statement follows calls on Wednesday with President Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Senior U.S. officials said Witkoff asked Netanyahu to "calm down" the strikes in Lebanon and open negotiations. - Iran claims Lebanon was part of the ceasefire deal, that the U.S. and Israel are now in violation, and that it might abandon peace talks or keep the Strait of Hormuz closed as a result. - The U.S. and Israel deny that the ceasefire included Israel's…Open
