Beirut, April 10 (SANA) The Lebanese presidency announced on Friday an agreement to hold a preliminary meeting to discuss a ceasefire and set a date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US mediation next Tuesday at the US State Department in Washington.
In a statement, the presidency’s media office said the move follows an initiative launched by President Joseph Aoun and recent Arab and international contacts amid escalating Israeli attacks on Lebanon. It added that the US administration assigned the State Department to act as mediator between Lebanon and Israel.
The statement noted that a phone call, described as the first of its kind, took place between Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, with participation of US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa, during which they agreed to hold the meeting to discuss a ceasefire and the launch of negotiations.
Those diplomatic developments come as Lebanon faces escalating field tensions due to continued Israeli attacks targeting Beirut, southern regions and the Bekaa, resulting in casualties, widespread destruction and large-scale displacement.
The initiative proposed by Aoun emphasized the need for an immediate halt to hostilities and resorting to diplomatic channels to safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid growing international warnings of broader regional escalation.
M.Q.R
