Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said his government is preparing to open ceasefire negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible, amid ongoing hostilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah, according to Jerusalem Post and Times of Israel.
“The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
He added that the move comes in light of Lebanon's repeated appeals to open direct negotiations with Israel, noting that he had instructed the cabinet to initiate talks without delay.
Netanyahu also said Israel appreciates the call made today by Lebanon's prime minister to demilitarize Beirut, signalling potential diplomatic momentum despite continued military activity.
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Israeli strikes on Lebanon have persisted even after a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, amid disagreements over whether Lebanon is covered under the truce.
Citing a Pakistani source, Phil Stewart, Chief National Security Correspondent at Reuters, reported on X that Islamabad is actively working on a broader ceasefire framework that could include Lebanon and Yemen.
Pakistan is seeking to expand the scope of current negotiations beyond the US-Iran agreement.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also spoken with his Lebanese counterpart Nawaf Salam. According to an official readout, Islamabad strongly condemned Israel's ongoing strikes, while Salam requested Pakistan's support to bring an immediate end to the attacks targeting Lebanon and its people.
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Uncertainty remains over Lebanon's inclusion in the ceasefire. While Washington and Israel maintain it is not part of the deal, Pakistan insists otherwise.
Salam has urged Sharif to confirm that the ceasefire includes Lebanon to prevent a recurrence of deadly Israeli strikes, which reportedly killed over 200 people.
Meanwhile, Iran's parliamentary leadership has warned that Tehran considers Lebanon an inseparable part of the ceasefire, raising the risk of further escalation.
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