The US appeared to be intensifying its efforts to arrange a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting Thursday that a sit-down could lead to Israeli forces withdrawing from southern Lebanon amid the shaky ceasefire with Hezbollah.

“A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States,” read a statement from the US Embassy in Lebanon.

The Trump administration has been pushing such direct engagement between the two leaders for weeks, with little success, having intended for the truce it brokered to allow for talks on a peace deal, potentially shaking up Lebanon’s internal dynamics and its role in the region. But Lebanese leaders remain at odds over the negotiation format and ultimate goal.

Aoun faces significant domestic pressure back home, including threats from Hezbollah, and it’s unclear whether he would be willing to meet Netanyahu while Israeli forces continue to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, where the shaky US-brokered ceasefire has failed to fully halt the war.

“Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation,” read the statement from the US embassy.

“Direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries that should have never been at war, can mark the beginning of a national revival. The extended cessation of hostilities, achieved at the personal request of President Trump, has given Lebanon the space and the opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table with the full attention of the United States government,” the statement continued.

“This is Lebanon’s moment to decide its own destiny, one which belongs to all its people. The United States is ready to stand........

© The Times of Israel