Israel announces readiness for direct talks with Lebanon amid strikes

Key facts

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 9 April 2026 instructed his cabinet to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.
• Netanyahu stated the talks will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful Israel-Lebanon relations.
• Israeli strikes across Lebanon on 8 April 2026 killed more than 300 people and wounded over 1,000, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
• Lebanon’s cabinet ordered security forces to restrict weapons in Beirut to state institutions alone.
• Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad rejected direct negotiations with Israel and demanded an Israeli troop withdrawal and ceasefire first.
• Since 2 March 2026, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,888 people and displaced over 1.2 million inside Lebanon, the United Nations reported.
• US and Iranian delegations are scheduled to meet in Islamabad, Pakistan on 11 April 2026 to discuss ending the five-week US-Israel war on Iran.