The Lebanese presidency announced on Friday evening that a meeting will be held with Israel in Washington on Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the date for the start of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US sponsorship.

Following the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran this week, a dispute emerged between Washington and Tehran over whether it also applies to Lebanon, where Israel has continued its intense attacks while Hezbollah has responded by launching rockets.

Lebanese Presidency

The Lebanese presidency stated that a phone call took place for the first time between Lebanon, represented by its ambassador in Washington Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, and Israel, represented by its ambassador in Washington Yechiel Leiter, with the participation of the United States ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa, who is currently in Washington.

The statement added that during the call there was agreement to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the US State Department to discuss the announcement of a ceasefire and the start date of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship.

However, a Lebanese government official told Agence France Presse on Thursday that Lebanon wants a ceasefire before negotiations begin.

Israel

For its part, Israel announced on Friday that it will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Leiter said in a statement that Israel has agreed to begin official peace negotiations with the Lebanese government, with which it does not have diplomatic relations, but added that Israel rejects discussing a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

South Lebanon. (AFP)

Hezbollah

Early on Friday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem urged Lebanese officials to stop making what he described as “free concessions” to Israel, pledging to continue fighting Israel “until the last breath.”

Hezbollah rejected direct talks between the two countries and instead called for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced on Friday that the toll from the intense Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and other areas on Wednesday had risen to 357 victims.

The Israeli army said on Friday that it has “dismantled” more than 4,300 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon since the war began on March 2, adding that it has killed “more than 1,400 fighters” from the group.

A security source said Israeli strikes targeted the headquarters of the government serail in the city of Nabatieh, causing, according to the latest official toll, 13 deaths from the State Security service.

Threat to Beirut

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a statement that “this painful tragedy only increases our determination to reach a ceasefire that protects Lebanon and our people in the south,” while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community “once again to assume its responsibilities to stop repeated Israeli attacks.”

Hezbollah announced that it had fired rockets at Israel in response to the Nabatieh strikes, in addition to targeting a naval military base in the southern city of Ashdod.

A Western diplomatic source told Agence France Presse that “there are ongoing diplomatic pressures from European countries, Gulf states, and Egypt on Israel to prevent renewed Israeli airstrikes on Beirut after Wednesday’s black day.”