Israel snubs Lebanon's call for dialogue, seeks to disarm Hezbollah 'by force'

Israel has responded coldly to Lebanon’s proposal to end the war and is adamant about continuing the assault on Hezbollah until the group is militarily destroyed.

Lebanon’s leaders have called for direct negotiations with Israel to reach a settlement and end fighting, which resumed Monday last week and led to hundreds of Lebanese killed in Israeli strikes.

Hezbollah had launched rockets at Israel following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 28 February. It was the first attack by the group on Israel since late 2024.

Israel’s bombing of the country has killed more than 480 people in a week and has forcibly displaced nearly 700,000 others from Shia-majority regions.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun presented a proposal calling for an immediate halt to all Israeli attacks on the country, the prompt provision of logistical support to the Lebanese armed forces to enable them to fully disarm Hezbollah, and the start of direct talks with Israel under international auspices to reach a permanent ceasefire.

But official Lebanese sources told The New Arab that "there has been no Israeli response so far to Aoun’s initiative" and that US messages conveyed to Lebanese officials indicate that "the situation is extremely difficult and complex". 

Washington had previously warned Lebanon that this would happen if Beirut procrastinated on the issue of disarming Hezbollah.

The sources also noted that Israel is currently insisting on carrying out Hezbollah’s disarmament itself by military force, after the Lebanese state "proved unable to do so" – particularly as the group’s operations demonstrate that it remains present and active on the ground.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the Lebanese government tried to open direct communication channels with the Israelis via US envoy to Turkey and Syria Tom Barrack, but he described Lebanon’s initiative as "nonsense", stressing that there would be no negotiations unless Hezbollah was disarmed.

The Israeli government completely refused Aoun’s initiative, saying it was "too late", and current efforts are focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s capabilities, Channel 12 added.

Despite Beirut’s efforts to disarm the group since late 2024 – and the Lebanese army’s announcement that its disarmament plan was complete south of the Litani river – Hezbollah has refused to fully give up its weapons.

After Hezbollah decided to join the Iran war, the Lebanese government labelled the Islamist movement's military and security apparatus as "illegal", with dozens of its members arrested since then.

As Israel presses on with its offensive, Hezbollah has also vowed to continue fighting, refusing Lebanese government initiatives to negotiate with Israel.

Israeli strikes continued on Tuesday on Shia-majority areas, including southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, which have seen mass evacuations since hostilities resumed on 2 March.