Lebanon To Decide On Direct Talks With Israel After Washington Round, Officials Say

Lebanese official sources told the Qatari Al-Araby channel that Lebanon will determine its position on continuing direct negotiations with Israel following the next round of talks, expected to take place on June 2–3 in Washington.

The officials added that the United States has not yet received a final Lebanese position on ending the fighting in Lebanon, and emphasized that American pressure on Israel to halt its military operations is "essential" to determining the outcome of the negotiations.

On the question of whether Lebanon might walk out of the talks altogether if Israel does not stop its strikes, the officials said no final decision has been made, but made clear that Beirut has no interest in boycotting the discussions. Their reasoning was pointed: withdrawing from the talks could serve Israel's interests and potentially provide cover for Israel to seize additional territory in southern Lebanon.

The statement reflects Lebanon's difficult balancing act, continuing to engage diplomatically while Israeli forces deepen their ground operation north of the Litani River and push toward Nabatieh. Beirut is effectively signaling that it will remain at the table for now, but that its continued participation is contingent on Washington applying meaningful pressure on Jerusalem to restrain its military campaign.

The Washington talks on June 2–3 are now shaping up as a critical juncture, both for the Lebanese-Israeli diplomatic track and for the broader regional picture, with the US-Iran ceasefire deal simultaneously hanging in the balance.