The prospect of contact between the Lebanese president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid continued fighting has drawn criticism in Lebanon, with some calling it “unacceptable and inappropriate.”
Following a call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, sources at the presidential palace told Lebanese media that the president had refused direct contact with Netanyahu before a ceasefire is reached and Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanese territory they have occupied.
Within hours, the phone rang again at Lebanon’s presidential palace. This time, the caller was U.S. President Donald Trump. After the call, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement that the two leaders discussed a ceasefire, and that Trump promised Aoun it would be achieved “very soon.”
Shortly afterward, Trump said on his account on Truth Social that he had held “two excellent conversations” with the Lebanese president and with Netanyahu, adding that the two leaders had agreed to a truce as a first step toward peace between the two countries.
Trump followed that post with another, saying he would invite Aoun and Netanyahu to the White House for “constructive talks,” which he described as the first of their kind between Lebanon and Israel since 1983. He said both sides want to see peace and expressed confidence that it could happen quickly.
Momentum toward peace between Israel and Lebanon, driven by U.S. efforts, began last Tuesday, when Washington hosted what was described as a historic meeting between delegations from both countries in the presence of Rubio. The meeting marked the first official and direct contact between Israel and Lebanon in 34 years.
Lebanese opinion is divided over the move, particularly among supporters of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, which dominate representation within the Shiite community. While ministers from Amal in the government have approved the negotiations, Hezbollah — through its ministers, lawmakers, officials and affiliated media — has rejected direct talks with Israel, insisting that any negotiations should be conducted indirectly.
Trump has issued directives to Vice President JD Vance, Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine to coordinate between Lebanon and Israel. The U.S. president expressed confidence in ending the conflict, describing it as the tenth war he is working to resolve globally during his presidency.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
