Beirut, March 10: Lebanon’s president has proposed direct negotiations with Israel as part of a new diplomatic initiative aimed at ending the escalating conflict involving the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The plan seeks to combine a ceasefire with the disarmament of Hezbollah and increased international support for Lebanon’s national army.
Joseph Aoun said the initiative would begin with a “complete truce” and be followed by internationally backed negotiations to establish what he described as “permanent security and stability arrangements on our borders.” The proposal also calls for greater assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces so they can regain control of sensitive areas along the frontier with Israel.
However, Aoun stressed that negotiations cannot take place while Israeli strikes continue.
“Lebanon is ready to negotiate, but not while the country remains under Israeli fire,” he said, referring to ongoing airstrikes that have intensified in recent days.
The Lebanese leader also delivered unusually strong criticism of Hezbollah, accusing the powerful Shiite movement of putting Lebanon’s national interests at risk. He described the group as “an armed faction that places no value on Lebanon’s interests nor on the life of its people,” and warned that its actions could lead to the “collapse of the Lebanese state under aggression and chaos.”
The conflict has already had a severe humanitarian impact. Aoun said hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes as fighting escalates.
“Some of them are on the roads. They have no shelter and not even the most basic necessities of life,” he said.
Israel has not indicated support for the proposed negotiations. Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said the Lebanese government must enforce existing ceasefire agreements and dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
Similarly, Joshua Zarka said Israel has not yet decided to pursue negotiations.
“At this stage, I’m not aware of any decision to enter negotiations to end this war,” he said, adding that the conflict would end only if Hezbollah is disarmed.
Israeli leaders have also signaled that military pressure will continue. Israel Katz said the moment should be used to intensify operations against the group.
Regional analysts say Beirut’s proposal reflects growing concern inside Lebanon about the country being drawn deeper into a wider Middle East conflict. Joseph Bahout noted that Lebanese authorities are trying to distance themselves from Hezbollah’s actions.
“The main worry of Beirut’s authorities has become to clearly delink themselves from Hezbollah’s actions,” Bahout said, though he warned the plan faces a major obstacle: the government’s limited ability to disarm the group.
Another expert, Eyal Zisser, described the initiative as a sign of Lebanon’s weakened control over its territory.
He called the proposal “a cry of help from a country that has lost control of its territory,” adding that under current conditions diplomacy is unlikely to succeed.
The European Union has urged restraint and renewed diplomacy. Kaja Kallas said reviving a ceasefire remains the best way to prevent further escalation.
“Diplomacy and a return to the ceasefire offer the best chance of averting Lebanon from sliding into chaos,” she said.
The latest tensions follow the collapse of a ceasefire reached in late 2024. Since then, Israel has carried out frequent strikes in Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of rebuilding its military capabilities. Hezbollah later launched rockets and drones toward northern Israel after a joint U.S.–Israeli attack on Iran, further intensifying the confrontation.
The violence has displaced more than 600,000 to 700,000 people, including large numbers of children, according to officials, raising fears that the crisis could spiral into a broader regional war if diplomacy fails.
