Hani: Lebanon seeks ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from south
Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani on Monday said Lebanon’s objectives in the negotiations were clear but had yet to produce tangible results on the ground.
In an interview, Hani said the primary goals were to halt all hostilities and destruction and secure Israel’s withdrawal beyond Lebanon’s borders.
He said developments on the ground had fallen short of the expectations of President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government, expressing hope that the negotiating delegation would achieve concrete results in future rounds.
Hani denied that U.S. interest in Lebanon had declined, saying the country was instead facing a golden opportunity amid strong American attention. He described Aoun’s remarks on disarming Hezbollah as realistic.
He added that communication with Hezbollah remained ongoing, particularly through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and said all Lebanese agreed on the need to end Israeli violations and hostilities.
Asked whether Hezbollah could enter the conflict if U.S.-Iranian fighting resumed, Hani said he hoped the group would not repeat what he called the same mistake, warning that such a move would bring Lebanon further death, destruction and depletion.
