The former US president Donald Trump has stated that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will hold a direct conversation this Thursday, something that has not happened for more than three decades. According to Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will speak in an attempt to de-escalate tension after clashes between the Israeli Army and the Shiite group Hezbollah, although Lebanese authorities have not confirmed the contact despite the Israeli Government considering it foreseen.
The announcement comes after both countries agreed to resume their contacts after a meeting between delegations held in Washington, described as “productive”. These conversations seek to stop the escalation of violence between the Israeli Army and the Shiite group Hezbollah, reactivated since last March 2.
From the Israeli Government, the Minister of Science and Technology has supported the possibility of that direct contact and has indicated that Netanyahu plans to speak with Aoun. “After many years of total disconnection in the dialogue between the two States, I hope that this movement leads to prosperity”, she affirmed in statements to the Army radio.
For the moment, the Lebanese authorities have not officially confirmed the conversation. Lebanon had demanded on several occasions the opening of bilateral negotiations with Israel, something that the Israeli Executive recently accepted with the aim of moving towards “peaceful relations” and addressing the dismantling of Hezbollah, a demand that generates tensions within the country itself.
The last high-level conversations between both countries date back to 1993, although they did not directly involve their top leaders. If this contact is confirmed, it would represent a diplomatic milestone amidst the current Israeli offensive in Lebanese territory, which includes operations in the south of the country and has left more than 2.150 dead, according to the Ministry of Health of Lebanon.
