Lebanese and Israeli officials are set to meet in Washington, today. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told The Washington Post in an interview published today from Paris, that Lebanon could not sign any agreement that does not include a “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces. “We cannot live with a so-called buffer zone,” he said, “an Israeli presence where Lebanese displaced people are not allowed to return, where destroyed villages and towns cannot be rebuilt.” Salam called for extending a shaky ceasefire brokered by the United States that expires at the end of this week, following the example of President Donald Trump, who has extended the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, the Post reports.
Salam called the U.S. role as a mediator crucial. “We are entering these negotiations convened by the U.S. convinced that the U.S. is the party that can have leverage over Israel,” Salam said Wednesday. “Their role was critical in reaching the ceasefire, and we hope they will continue exercising their leverage over Israel.”
But Trump has not articulated an unambiguous position regarding the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Asked whether the U.S. appears understanding of his government’s stance, Salam said that talks were “really at the very beginning.”
“I don’t know what we can achieve through negotiation, but I know what we want,” Salam said Wednesday after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. “Whether it’s an avenue we should pursue? My answer is indeed yes. Because we don’t want to leave any stone unturned to reach our objectives.”
