Israel and Lebanon expected to hold direct talks, says Haaretz

Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in the coming days, their first since the start of the war on Iran that has drawn Lebanon deeper into conflict, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Saturday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will be involved in the talks, which may be held in Paris or Cyprus, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s confidant Ron Dermer leading the Israeli delegation, Haaretz said.

The negotiations are expected to focus on ending fighting in Lebanon and disarming the Lebanese military group Hezbollah, Haaretz said.

Hezbollah opened fire on Israel on 2 March, saying it was retaliating for the killing of Iran's supreme ​leader at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Israel has since launched an extensive bombing campaign in Lebanon, which has killed more than 770 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more, while Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets across the border.