Lebanese President Michel Aoun sees planned talks with Israel as an opportunity to end Israeli “hostilities” and occupation.
Aoun announced that former US ambassador Simon Karam will lead a negotiating delegation for the planned talks with Israel.
"The decision to negotiate aims to stop hostilities, end the Israeli occupation of regions in the south and deploy the (Lebanese) army all the way to the internationally recognized southern borders with Israel," Aoun said in a statement, AFP reported.
Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament, told AFP that it is not in the president's interest to engage in direct talks with Israel. He said Hezbollah would "tear down" the so-called Yellow Line, which the Israeli military has established in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army's attempt to establish a buffer zone, under the title of defense line, a yellow line, a green line and a red line... all of these lines will be broken, and we will not accept any of them," Fadlallah said.
During the ceasefire, the Israeli military continues to hold its positions in southern Lebanon, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X. He urged residents of a number of villages in the area not to return.
