BEIRUT, April 11 (V7N) – Lebanon’s presidency announced Friday that a meeting will be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbours.  

President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the conflict on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel in support of Iran, triggering massive Israeli strikes and a ground invasion. The announcement follows a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran earlier this week, though Washington and Tehran remain divided over whether it extends to Lebanon.  

Aoun’s office said a first telephone call was held Friday between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington and the US ambassador to Lebanon, agreeing to meet Tuesday at the State Department. Lebanon insists on a ceasefire before negotiations, but Israel has rejected discussing terms with Hezbollah.  

The war has already claimed more than 1,950 lives in Lebanon, with Wednesday’s Israeli strikes alone killing 357 people. Israel’s military said it eliminated more than 180 Hezbollah militants that day and has dismantled over 4,300 sites since the conflict began. Hezbollah vowed continued resistance, launching retaliatory rocket barrages and claiming a missile strike on Israel’s naval base in Ashdod.  

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the deadly strike on Nabatiyeh, which killed 13 State Security personnel, “only strengthens our determination to achieve a ceasefire.” Meanwhile, protests erupted in Beirut against negotiations with Israel, as fears mounted over potential strikes on densely populated areas of the capital.  

Western diplomats have urged restraint, with assurances reportedly given that Beirut’s airport and major hospitals would not be targeted. Lebanese authorities continue to press the international community to intervene and halt Israeli attacks.  

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