Lebanon's government believes it is too soon to hold a high-level meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told reporters on Wednesday.
High-level talks with Israel would require extensive preparation, he said, adding that Lebanon is seeking peace, not a normalization of relations with Israel.
Lebanon and Israel recently held direct talks at the political level for the first time in decades. These talks were intended to lay the foundation for further negotiations between the two ostensibly hostile neighbouring states. US President Donald Trump is also seeking a meeting between Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Following the talks, the Lebanese and Israeli governments announced a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, although the Lebanese government is not a party to the conflict.
Despite the ceasefire, mutual shelling continues and people are still killed daily in Lebanon.
A prerequisite for a new round of negotiations is the consolidation of the existing ceasefire. The conditions for a high-level meeting are not yet in place, Salam said.
Israel maintains a troop presence in southern Lebanon and is demanding the complete disarmament of Hezbollah. Salam said a timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli troops is a minimum requirement. He also announced that the government intends to further develop its plans to bring all weapons under state control.
