"The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon." Israel was preparing to scale down its attacks in Lebanon, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday. Another Israeli official said talks with Lebanon were expected to begin in Washington next week. U.S. Brent crude futures fell sharply after the ceasefire announcement, and dropped a further $4 after Israel announced direct Lebanon talks. ISRAEL SAYS CEASEFIRE DOES NOT COVER LEBANONWashington and Israel, which invaded Lebanon last month in parallel with the war on Iran to root out Hezbollah, say Lebanon is not covered by Trump's ceasefire.

Source: The Standard April 09, 2026 18:29 UTC