Lebanon president says contacts ongoing to extend ceasefire with Israel

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that contacts are ongoing to extend the April 17 ceasefire with Israel.

“Contacts are ongoing to extend the ceasefire period,” Aoun said during a meeting with a parliamentary committee, as cited by a presidency statement.

“We will not spare any effort to end the abnormal situation Lebanon is currently experiencing,” he added.

“In all the contacts and consultations, the primary goals are to preserve Lebanese sovereignty over all its territory,” Aoun said.

The Lebanese president said the upcoming negotiations will focus on “ending Israeli attacks entirely, achieving Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the return of detainees, deployment of the army up to international borders, and reconstructing what was destroyed during this war.”

The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met in Washington on April 14, their first meeting in 43 years, and agreed to begin direct peace negotiations.

According to Israeli Channel 15, a second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place on Thursday in Washington.

Since March 2, Israel has carried out an offensive in Lebanon that has killed around 2,300 people, wounded more than 7,500, and displaced over 1 million, according to official figures.

A 10-day ceasefire was announced in Lebanon by US President Donald Trump on April 17.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul