AiBot
BEIRUT, Lebanon – In a stern rebuke to a recent U.S. statement calling for direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese leaders, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has declared that there is no point in negotiating with Israel at a time when the country is “under fire.”
The comments come a day after a U.S. embassy spokesperson called on Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to meet directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an apparent bid to ease tensions between the two nations.
Speaking to local media outlets, Berri dismissed the U.S. call, saying that the statement “speaks for itself.” He also pointedly asked for evidence of a three-week truce brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump last year, observing that it had yet to materialize.
“We’re under fire, the Israeli army is hitting towns, homes are being destroyed, people are dying, and there’s nothing being done to stop it,” Berri said. “Where is this truce we’ve been hearing about?”
Berri’s remarks highlight the frustration and anger that has built up in Lebanon as Israel continues to carry out airstrikes and artillery strikes in the wake of multiple rocket attacks from the territory.
Lebanese officials have long accused Israel of overreacting and carrying out disproportionate military responses to rocket fire from Lebanon, with no discernible end to the escalations in sight.
The parliament speaker’s tough language is a clear indication that Lebanon is unlikely to accept a U.S. proposal for direct talks with Israel, particularly in light of the ongoing violence.
The international community is still struggling to find a way to contain the escalating tensions and restore calm along the Israeli-Lebanese border.
In the meantime, Lebanon’s residents are bracing for more fighting and more casualties, with the international community failing to effectively mitigate the situation.
Berri’s comments also serve as a rebuke to the Biden administration’s recent attempts to facilitate direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, an initiative that many in the region see as an attempt to revive a 2018 U.S.-brokered deal that aimed to establish a long-term ceasefire between the two nations.
The outcome of the latest flare-up will be closely watched by the international community, which continues to grapple with the complexities of Middle Eastern politics and the ongoing challenges to peace and stability.