JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he had authorized direct talks with Lebanon, while insisting that Israel’s attacks across the country targeting Hezbollah would continue. Israel and Lebanon have not held direct talks with a goal of normalizing relations since a U.S.-mediated process in 1983, which led to an agreement that quickly collapsed. Israel on Thursday continued its bombing campaign against Hezbollah after unleashing some of its heaviest attacks on Beirut a day earlier. Ali Fayyad, a member of the Hezbollah faction in Lebanon’s parliament, said the group rejected direct talks between Lebanon and Israel unless a ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory were in place. During a call with Salam, the Lebanese prime minister, Sharif said he “strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advance peace efforts.

Source: Washington Post April 09, 2026 17:16 UTC