Lebanon’s government has asked the Trump administration to mediate direct negotiations with Israel to end the war with Hezbollah and potentially reach a peace agreement, Axios reported on Monday, citing several officials familiar with the discussions.
The proposal included the possibility of holding immediate minister-level talks between Lebanon and Israel in Cyprus, the report said.
Lebanese officials raised the idea last week with Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, asking him to act as a mediator between the two countries, Axios reported, citing a U.S. official, an Israeli official and three other sources with direct knowledge of the outreach.
According to the report, Lebanese officials also suggested that some members of Hezbollah could be open to a deal.
Barrack responded that there would be no point in negotiations unless Lebanon took real action to disarm Hezbollah, Axios reported.
Israel also rejected the approach, signaling that the focus is currently on dismantling Hezbollah rather than opening negotiations, according to the report.