Netanyahu Taps Dermer to Head Lebanon Talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assigned former strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer to oversee Israel’s Lebanon portfolio during the ongoing war, according to Israeli and American officials cited in a new report.

Dermer will be responsible for managing contacts with the US administration and leading any potential negotiations with the Lebanese government should talks begin in the coming weeks.

Officials familiar with the discussions said Israel has already coordinated closely with Washington regarding operations in Lebanon. According to a senior US official, Israel agreed to an American request not to strike Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport.

The same source said Israel also committed to avoiding attacks on several critical Lebanese civilian infrastructure sites. Israeli officials, however, denied that any blanket pledge had been made, saying each potential target would be evaluated individually in consultation with the United States.

Dermer, a longtime confidant of Netanyahu and former Israeli ambassador to Washington, returned to active involvement in recent weeks following the outbreak of the war with Iran.

He stepped down from government in November after serving roughly two years as minister for strategic affairs. In his resignation letter at the time, Dermer wrote that he had promised his family he would limit his tenure to two years.

Despite leaving office, Dermer has remained a central figure in Netanyahu’s inner circle and has previously played key roles in sensitive diplomatic efforts, including negotiations related to hostage releases.