Report: Lebanon asks US for direct peace talks with Israel to end fighting

The Lebanese government proposed direct negotiations with Israel — through the Trump administration — aimed at ending the war and reaching a peace agreement, five sources with knowledge of the matter told U.S. news portal Axios.

Both the U.S. and Israeli responses were cool and deeply skeptical, the sources said.

Axios also revealed that "last week, the Lebanese government approached Tom Barrack — the U.S. ambassador to Turkey — and asked him to mediate with Israel," quoting a U.S. official, an Israeli official, and three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The Israeli official said the Lebanese government also claimed some Hezbollah members were open to a deal.

In an unprecedented step, Lebanon proposed holding immediate direct talks with Israel at the ministerial level in Cyprus, the report said.

Barrack's response was blunt: "Stop with the b*llshit" on disarming Hezbollah, or there's nothing to discuss. "If it's not real action about Hezbollah's weapons, there's no point," a source said.

Sources said the Israeli government rejected the outreach outright, signaling it was too late. Its focus is now on eliminating Hezbollah, Axios said.

Axios added that Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal has resisted the government's push, refusing to deploy troops against Hezbollah while active fighting continues, also quoting the sources.

Haykal's stance has fueled tensions with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and drawn pressure from both Democrats and Republicans in Washington on President Joseph Aoun to fire him, according to current and former U.S. officials.

"The Lebanese military remains unwilling — some say unable — to enforce the government's decision outlawing Hezbollah's military and security activities," said Firas Maksad, managing director for Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group.

"There is no interest from the Trump administration to deal with Lebanon," one source with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

"Nobody in Washington is taking their calls," said a former U.S. official.

"The Lebanese government was warned and warned and warned this would happen if they don't take action against Hezbollah," said a third source, also a former U.S. official.

Lebanon is launching a diplomatic initiative to pursue direct senior-level negotiations with Israel, Maksad told Axios — aimed at building a post-war order in which Hezbollah no longer dominates the country.

"The Lebanese state will not, perhaps cannot, create the military conditions to get there. But it will meet Israel and the U.S. at the table once the guns go silent."