Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on May 4 that he will not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until a security agreement is reached and Israeli attacks on Lebanon cease, according to a statement from his office, JNS reported.
“The timing is not appropriate” for a meeting, the statement continued.
The remarks come after Israeli and Lebanese officials held two rounds of U.S.-mediated talks in Washington last month, the first such meetings in decades.
The discussions followed escalating conflict triggered by Iran-backed Hezbollah launching an offensive against Israel on March 2, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a ground operation in Southern Lebanon.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire beginning April 17 after the first round, later extended by three weeks following further talks. A third round of preparatory discussions is expected in the coming days.
Washington has pushed for a direct meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu, with Trump suggesting it could take place at the White House within weeks.
The U.S. embassy in Beirut last week called for direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, saying that Beirut faces a “historic opportunity” to reclaim its sovereignty and shape its future.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday rejected negotiations with Jerusalem, with the terror chief calling them a “gratuitous concession,” while Aoun said there was “no turning back” from negotiations aimed at securing an Israeli withdrawal.
