Lebanese Parliament speaker says no negotiations with Israel

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday, Berri stated that US envoy Thomas Barrack conveyed Israel's refusal to accept a proposal that included a two-month cessation of Israeli aggressions, a withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, and subsequent talks on border demarcation and security arrangements.

As a result of Israel's rejection, Berri said that “any path for negotiations with Israel has been abandoned, and what remains is only the mechanism followed through the committee supervising the implementation of the ceasefire agreement."

He stressed that “we remain committed to the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, which the mechanism committee is supposed to oversee,” emphasizing that this mechanism is “the only framework currently in place, and nothing else.”

Berri underlined Lebanon's commitment to the ceasefire established in November 2024, which was intended to end a prolonged war with Israel.

He remarked that the committee overseeing this agreement now meets biweekly, reflecting a more structured approach than previously experienced.

Despite the stalemate in negotiations, Berri expressed a mixed outlook, acknowledging both pessimism and optimism regarding future relations with Israel.

He highlighted the critical nature of adhering to the ceasefire, especially following recent tensions that escalated into heavy fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border in October 2023.

In a separate yet related development, US envoy Thomas Barrack threatened Beirut with potential unilateral Israeli aggression should the Lebanese government does not disarm the Hezbollah resistance movement.

He noted that such hesitance could trigger significant regional consequences, including renewed war.

“Should Beirut continue to hesitate (over disarming Hezbollah), Israel may act unilaterally – and the consequences would be grave,” Barrack wrote on the X platform.

The US administration has issued a warning to Beirut regarding the potential for a renewed Israeli military campaign should the Lebanese government fail to disarm Hezbollah promptly.

According to US officials cited by the New York Times, the primary risk associated with any delay or obstruction in the disarmament process is that Israel may determine it necessary to “finish the job” through further military operations.